My Choice My Life
by Sakura Cherry Blossom1
Summary: Complete! Two kids huddle against the cold in the dangerous streets of Tokyo, Japan. All because of Davis? A story contemplating the question: What if our choices in-directly altered the lives of those around us?
1. Prologue

My Choice. My Life.  
  
Summary: Two kids huddle against the cold in the dangerous streets of Tokyo, Japan. All because of Davis? A story contemplating the question: What if our choices in-directly altered the lives of those around us?  
  
Authors Note: This takes place about 10 years or more after the defeat of MaloMyotismon. The epilogue at the end of '02 doesn't exist, but some ideas have been borrowed from it. This is my first take on what their future might be like. There is plenty of Takari, Taiora, Mimato, and Kenlie to go around. The main focus, however, is on the kids. It may also be depressing in some parts. I wrote this back in January of 2003, but it took me this long to type it up so, if it seems like any ideas have been taken I assure you it is pure coincidence. Also, it may take me a while to update in-between chapters because this is not the only one I'm working on typing up right now. I just wanted to let those of you who like my stories to know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.   
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, you would know by now All non Digimon characters and ideas are mine and shall not be taken without my consent.  
  
Prologue  
  
In the middle of downtown Tokyo, two kids huddled together in the shelter of two buildings. Although the alley didn't provide much shelter, it did block the November winds. A 10 year old girl sat against the building cradling her little brother. He seemed barely a year old. Every now and then a soft whimpering could be heard from the boy. A stray gust of wind blew through the alley, swirling the girls blonde hair around her. She pulled her brother closer to herself. The girl was thin and frail. Her skin was pale. All due to a lack of food. Every ounce of food she got, she gave to her brother. When he was full she would eat what was left, if there was any. The only thing that separated the brother and sister from the other beggars was something in their eyes. Instead of a hollowness or emptiness, their eyes shone with Hope.  
  
The girl coughed a few times as the wind found its way to the alley and swirled around them. She could hardly remember a time when she hadn't lived on the streets or cared for her brother. Any memories she had of her parents were mere feelings. Warm, caring people who held a great Hope in their hearts. Hope. That word drove the girl to keep living, surviving. To face each day with a hope that tomorrow will be better. A young, 10 year old girl, forced to act like 16, caring for her brother like he was her son. What could have caused this? Who was to blame? Or was it just simply a cruel fated destiny.  
  
Authors Note: I know this doesn't sound like a normal prologue, but I didn't know what else to call it. ' I guess you could call it an extended summary. Anyway, please review. 


	2. The Best of Times

Authors Note: Since the last chapter was really short, I'll send this one as a bonus. I only have a couple more typed up so, I'll spread those out to make sure there isn't a huge span of time before I can get more typed up. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter1: The Best of Times  
  
It had been almost four years since anyone had heard from Davis Motomiya. Not even his family knew where he had gone. It wasn't like him to disappear without a trace. Truth be told, no one noticed anymore. Sad as it may seem, it was the truth. The older digidestined had graduated from college and were on their way to starting their careers. Izzy was a computer programmer and had just signed on with a major company. Joe was still working hard to become a doctor. Tai was signed up with the pro- soccer team while his girlfriend, Sora, was designing fashions for a huge company. Matt was still in the music business. He had changed the name of his band from The Teenage Wolves to simply The Wolves. In one year alone, he had two albums go double platinum and was well on his way to being internationally known. Matt's girlfriend, Mimi, had just started her own cooking show and she was hoping it would be a huge success. Her goal was to one day start a restaurant.  
  
As for the younger digidestined, their college days were ahead of them. Cody was studying something along the lines of Criminal Justice, or Law. Ken wanted to be a detective. Yolie wasn't sure what she wanted to major in just yet. T.K. was studying to be a writer and Kari was studying to be a teacher with a photography class on the side. Luckily for them they all got accepted to the same college. Kari and Yolie were roommates. Ken and T.K. were roommates. Since Cody was a year younger, he roomed with someone else. Ken and Yolie had begun dating their Junior year of High School. Even though it was obvious they liked each other, T.K. and Kari seemed content to be just friends. No matter how the others tried, they just couldn't get the bearers of Light and Hope to admit their feelings to each other.  
  
Without Digital World problems to bother them, The digidestined were able to live normal lives. Their only worries were whether or not they studied hard enough for their finals. They enjoyed college life to the fullest, becoming better friends each day. Before they knew it the days were turning to weeks, the weeks to months, and the months to years. During the younger digidestineds Junior year of college, Tai and Sora finally got married. It was at their wedding when T.K. and Kari finally confessed their feelings for each other. Not long after Tai and Soras wedding, Matt and Mimi tied the knot. With Ken and Yolies Senior year of college ahead, it was obvious who would wed next.  
  
"Are you done yet?" T.K. asked, entering the dark room where Kari was working.  
  
"Five more minutes." Kari told him. "I've only got three more pictures to develop for my final."  
  
"But you said you'd be done an hour ago." T.K. stated. "We're going to be late."  
  
"Yolie and the others will understand. Besides, you don't want your girlfriend to fail one of her favorite classes, do you?"  
  
"Of course not, Angel."  
  
"I promise. Five minutes." Kari said, playfully kissing T.K. on the nose.  
  
"I'll be outside." T.K. said then left.  
  
True to her promise, five minutes later Kari exited the room with her final in hand.  
  
"I just need to put these in my room and we can go." Kari stated.  
  
"Where are they?" Yolie asked no one in particular. She had been looking at her watch constantly for 30 minutes.  
  
"I'm sure they'll be here." Ken stated trying to calm Yolie down. "I'm sure they have a good explanation."  
  
Cody was in charge of setting things up for a picnic in the park. It was a tradition that had started when the five first started college. It began as a cool way to study, but soon turned into a relaxing way to enjoy the outdoors. Cody joined Yolie and Ken just in time to hear Yolie rant for the hundredth time. As soon as Yolie finished her rant, Cody spotted T.K. and Kari coming towards them.  
  
"It's about time you two got here. I was beginning to worry." Yolie stated.  
  
"Sorry we're late." Kari apologized. "I had to finish developing my pictures for my final and this was the only day I could get the room."  
  
"That's all right." Ken said. "I knew you had a good reason. Now then, I vote we eat this good food Yolie managed to swipe from her families convenience store." He winked at Yolie who blushed slightly.  
  
The five sat down to enjoy the picnic while catching up on each others lives. Yolie and Ken had just recently gotten engaged. They were planning on marrying after college. Cody had a girlfriend and he planned on introducing her to the rest of the digidestined at Sora's Christmas party. Kari heard a rumor that Tai and Sora were expecting, but her brother wouldn't tell her if it was true or not. Yolie had heard that Izzy had found a girlfriend, but didn't know if it was true. The five continued talking until the sun set.  
  
"Merry Christmas." Sora greeted Yolie and Ken. "We're glad you could make it."  
  
Tai and Sora had gotten an apartment halfway in-between their parents places. Sora claimed it was pure coincidence, but some weren't so sure. The place wasn't small and it wasn't big. It was just right. A nice cozy place that suited them nicely. The party went off without a hitch. Cody showed off his new girlfriend and Izzy had brought his girlfriend confirming the rumor that Yolie heard. Joe also had a girlfriend, however, she was unable to make it to the party because of a family emergency. Although the party was great, something was bugging Ken. For some reason Ken started thinking of Davis. Davis had been gone too long. He had been gone way too long for soul searching, a sabbatical, or whatever. What was bugging Ken the most was that Davis had left without telling anyone. It was almost like he was forced into something against his will. Ken was brought out of his thoughts by the announcement it was time to exchange gifts. By the end of the night it was agreed the party had been a success. Although, Kari and Yolie never did find out if the baby rumors were true.  
  
Six months later   
  
Kari was in the dressing room with Yolie, Sora, and Mimi. They were putting the finishing touches on Yolie's hair and makeup. Today was Yolie's wedding day and she was very nervous.  
  
"You look so beautiful, Yolie." Sora said. Sora was six months pregnant, confirming the rumor that she was indeed pregnant around Christmas.  
  
Although Mimi was cooking for a living, her specialty still remained fashion. They had bustled over Kari, Yolies Maid of Honor, in much the same way they did now with Yolie. Seeing as it was Yolies day, she got most of the attention. Ken had asked T.K. to be his Best Man. There was a knock on the door which Mimi answered.  
  
"Mrs. Inoue, please come in." Mimi stated, stepping aside for the mother of the bride.  
  
"You look beautiful." Mrs. Inoue complimented her daughter.  
  
"Thank you mother." Yolie replied.  
  
"I must inform you that it is time to start." Mrs. Inoue told Yolie. She then left the room with Mimi and Sora following.  
  
Kari retrieved the bouquets from the dresser and made a few last minute adjustments to Yolies dress, before they left. They walked down the hallway where they joined Yolie's father and T.K. who were waiting for them. Kari handed Yolie her bouquet before turning toward T.K.  
  
"You look very beautiful, Kari." T.K. told her.  
  
"Thank you." Kari said blushing. "You look handsome yourself."  
  
"Thanks." T.K. replied offering her his arm which Kari took.  
  
The ceremony started and the flower girl and ring bearer went first followed by Kari and T.K. Everyone stood to their feet as Yolie and her father walked towards the alter together. The wedding was beautiful and their wasn't a dry eye in the place. After the wedding, there was a reception followed by Ken and Yolie departing for their honeymoon.  
  
The summer went by fast and the last year of college for Kari and T.K. arrived all too soon. (A.N.: Sorry if I didn't make it clear, but Ken and Yolie are a year older than T.K. and Kari.) By the time the school year had ended, a lot had changed. Tai and Sora gave birth to a son, Taylor, making Kari an aunt. Matt and Mimi also had a son, Mark, who was born two months after Taylor. This made T.K. an uncle. Ken and Yolie were expecting and both Joe and Izzy had married. Ken was a detective while Yolie stayed home and took care of the house. T.K. was an author with a newly published book about their adventures in the digital world. The story was something he'd written for his final and the teacher secretly had it published as a surprise for T.K. Kari had been accepted as a teacher for a kindergarten and would start in the fall. She also planned on doing some free-lance photography or teaching photography to the local University on weekends. Cody had decided to become a lawyer and only had one year left to complete his degree. He planned on marrying after graduation. T.K. had asked Kari to marry him the day of their graduation and she excepted. Plans for their wedding were well underway. Seeing as Yolie was going to be Kari's Maid of Honor, it was going to be an interesting wedding.  
  
Authors Note: I hope that didn't suck too bad. I promise it gets good! I just have to get some house cleaning things out of the way, if you get my drift. Also, this is more of a Takari centered fic, but I made sure to give the spotlight to some of the other couples as well. Only one more chapter like this, then the action starts so, bear with me. Please take note of the little button in the bottom of the left hand corner and press review. Thanks. 


	3. Wedding Bells and a Blast Form the Past

Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews on the last two chapters. One of them made me laugh. I've never gotten a death threat before. LOL Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please read and review. Flames, please exit stage right. Thank you.  
  
In response to Anthony1: I'm glad you are interested in this. You may be surprised by this story as it progresses. ;) I don't intend to make Davis into a jerk, but he may come across as such.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Digimon.  
  
Chapter2: Wedding Bells and a Blast From the Past.  
  
Dramatis Persona (in lamens terms, list of characters)  
  
Tai and Sora: First to marry and have a son, Taylor. Tai is playing for the Japanese Soccer team while Sora works on launching her new clothing line.

Matt and Mimi: Second to marry and have a son, Mark. Matt has a new album on the way plus plans for a world tour with his band. Mimi's cooking show is a hit and she loves every minute of it.

Ken and Yolie: Third to marry. They have a child on the way. Yolie is in her sixth month of pregnancy. Ken will be starting as a detective soon while Yolie stays home and takes care of the house and the baby.

Joe: Fourth to marry. He married a girl who works as a nurse in the emergency room of his hospital. Joe finally became a doctor and loves his job.

Izzy: Fifth to marry. He married a television producer. Izzy is a computer programmer for a company that supplies the majority of Japans computers.

T.K. and Kari: Sixth to marry. T.K. has plans for his second book while Kari looks forward to teaching Kindergarten in the fall.

Cody: He is in his Senior year of college and plans on marrying his girlfriend soon after graduation. She is majoring in Martial arts and has plans on opening a Dojo some day. Cody is majoring in Law and hopes to become a good Lawyer.

For a month and a half the digidestined girls had been planning T.K. and Kari's wedding. It seemed that they were THE Digidestined couple. Everyone rooted for their romance to bloom, and made sure everything worked out. They were the most talked about subject. That's why planning their wedding wasn't like planning an ordinary wedding. This was a big deal and everything had to be done right. To be honest neither T.K. nor Kari really minded all the attention. It was good to see the Digidestined working together for something other than saving the world.  
  
Somewhere amidst the happiness, a lone figure watched. No mater where the Digidestined were the figure continued to stalk them. Something horrible had happened to this person. Something that made him snap. A once carefree, happy, fearless, kind, and loving young man had completely lost his mind. He was bent on destroying others happiness. A happiness he thought he deserved. At the peak of their happiness, he would destroy their lives. Jealousy consumed him. Hatred fueled him. He wanted her for himself and he would do anything to get her. Even kill.  
  
"Roses are tradition," Mimi said.  
  
"No. Lilies," Sora countered.  
  
"Maybe we should let Kari decide," Yolie interrupted, hoping to stop Mimi and Sora's argument. "Well Kari?"  
  
"I don't know. I like them both, but I don't think they look good together," Kari replied.  
  
"I just had a good idea," Sora almost exclaimed. "What about Lilies with a bit of Sweet Pea for fragrance?"  
  
"I like the way you think," Mimi agreed.  
  
Kari looked pensive, rolling around different ideas in her head. It didn't have to be something traditional. After all they were breaking a lot of traditions with this wedding. After a few more minutes she came to her decision. "After thinking it over, I've decided that I really like Sora's idea. I think that Lilies and Sweet Pea would look good together."  
  
"Great. Now then, It's time for lunch. What do you say we get lunch then look at bridesmaids dresses," Yolie stated taking charge.  
  
"Great," The others chorused.  
  
At lunch, the four finalized the location. Ever since getting over the darkness in the Digital World plaguing her, Kari had grown to love the ocean once again. She decided that she would love to have an outdoor wedding overlooking the ocean. Once lunch was over they headed to a bridal store to look at bridesmaids dresses. Kari wanted to save her wedding dress for last in case something inspired her. She wanted something simple, slightly elegant, and romantic in the look of the dress. They looked through hundreds of different styles with no luck. Kari was beginning to think she would have to have them custom made if she was going to get what she wanted. On the last rack, something caught her eye. She pulled it out to reveal exactly what she was looking for. She showed it to the others and they agreed it was perfect. The dress was off the shoulders with a modest neckline. The waist line was placed under the bust line so that any size person, including the pregnant Yolie, would look good in it. The skirt flared out and stopped and inch from the ground. It had a thin, chiffon type over skirt that was split down the front to show the skirt underneath. The skirt was light enough that it would blow in the wind. The sleeves were made of the same material as the over skirt and bell shaped like the medieval style dresses. Now that a dress was decided, a color had to be chosen. Sora had blue at her wedding, Mimi had pink, and Yolie had chosen red. After going through all the colors Kari finally chose a nice lavender color. For shoes they decided on a simple sandal style with a slight heel. The four decided to call it a day. They planned to meet up tomorrow to help Kari find her wedding dress.  
  
After searching for almost the entire week, Kari finally found the dress she wanted. The dress was off the shoulders with a modest neckline. The sleeves were fitted at the top then slowly fanned out to reveal medieval looking sleeves. The bodice was fitted with a corset style and the dress cascaded to the floor in several layers of chiffon. The train seemed to follow the dress for miles and her veil was toped with a silver tiara. All of the girls agreed that Kari had made the right choice.  
  
All of the other preparations had been made and the big day was fast approaching. Yolie was Kari's Maid of Honor and Sora and Mimi were bridesmaids. T.K. asked Ken to be his Best Man and Tai and Matt were the groomsmen. Finally the day came and Kari was a total wreck. She was fidgeting so much that she was making Yolie and Mimi very nervous. After what seemed like forever, it was time and the four girls left the apartment, where they were getting ready, and entered the limo that would take them to the park and seaside wedding. It was a beautiful day. Not a single cloud in sight. There was a nice clearing in the park, that overlooked the ocean, and they had set up sections of chairs facing the ocean. Kari and T.K. were to be married under a beautiful lattice-work archway which had Lilies and Sweet Pea adorning it. A white carpet was laid out that ran between the section of chairs all the way to the archway.  
  
The flower girl and ring bearer were the first down the aisle and the flower girl littered the white carpe with Sweet Pea petals. After the two children, Tai escorted Sora down the aisle. Matt followed Tai escorting Mimi down the aisle. Ken followed Matt Escorting Yolie down the aisle. After they had gotten to their places, everyone stood and watched as Kari was escorted down the aisle by her father. Once at the alter, Mr. Kamiya relinquished her to T.K. and the ceremony began. It was a beautiful ceremony and everyone cheered as T.K. and Kari shared their first kiss as husband and wife.  
  
However, someone was not so happy about the wedding. As the happy couple led the way to the reception, he glared daggers at them. 'I'll get you for this.' He sneered in his mind. 'Just you wait. I will make her mine!' He glared at the couple one last time before retreating into the shadows. Somewhere, something had caused this person to snap. Only something evil and completely full of hatred could cause a sweet, innocent, and caring person to loose their mind. What would cause someone without fear or regret or bitterness to suddenly turn cold and harmless? There were many others who would be easier to sway. Certainly someone like Ken Ichijouji would be a much easier or satisfying target. Someone like Ken who has faced the darkness, but no. This evil knew that the only way to destroy life was to use someone no one would expect. To prey on that persons lonely heart until they snapped. Ken would have been a wonderful target, but someone who could get close to the Light and hold it in his grasp, that was the ultimate revenge. The easy-going, fun loving, courageous, Davis Motomya, would be much more fun to break. Chances were the Light wouldn't know what hit her until it was too late.

Authors Note: I know this is really short, but please bear with me. The next chapter is the one where everything starts. It sets the whole story into motion. I had to get these out to set the stage. It may be a couple of weeks before I get it up, but it will be worth it. ;) I added the list of characters to make sure that you don't get lost. There will be a lot of characters that come into play in later chapters and it may be awhile in between chapters, as well. Anyway, please review and remember death threats will not be tolerated. If you don't like a couple I have paired together, then don't read. It's that simple. 


	4. My Choice

Authors Note: Here's the next chapter, for your enjoyment. This is the beginning of the action, so to speak. It starts getting better from here on out. It may also get a little confusing, but I'll try my best to keep that to a minimum. Anyway, enjoy and please review. Thanks.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Many are very grateful.  
  
Chapter 3: My Choice  
  
Dramatis Persona (List of characters)  
  
Tai and Sora : Are still happily married and enjoying their careers. Their oldest, Taylor, is now seven years old. Two year after Taylor was born, Sora gave birth to a girl they named Kristy. She is five years old now.  
  
Matt and Mimi: Are still happily married. Mimi's cooking show has taken off and Matt is still a famous rock star. Their oldest, Mark, is seven years old just like Tai and Sora's son. To make things even more interesting, Mimi also gave birth to a girl two years after having Mark. They named the girl Lily after Mimi's digimon, Lilymon, she is five years old now.  
  
Ken and Yolie: Are still happily married and enjoying their careers. Their oldest, Kevin, is now six years old. A year later, Yolie gave birth to a girl named Kelly who is five years old now. Two years later, Yolie gave birth to another son they named Sam in honor of Ken's older brother. Sam is three years old now.  
  
Joe : He still works as a doctor. He and his wife had a son they named Jake. He is five years old. Sadly, Joe lost his wife to cancer six months before his son turned five.  
  
Izzy: Still works as a computer programmer. He and his wife had a daughter they named Sakura. She is Six years old. Unfortunately Izzy became a workaholic at his job and didn't have time for his wife or daughter. After four years of marriage, they got divorced three months after Sakura's fifth birthday. They still keep in touch with each other and Izzy is working on not being so glued to his work.  
  
T.K. and Kari: They are still happily married and loving every minute of their careers. Kari teaches photography every other weekend at the local University. They eventually had a girl named Katie who is five years old. Kari also gave birth to a son named Alan who is a year old now.  
  
Cody: He got married four months after T.K. and Kari wed. Cody and his girlfriend tried to wait until they graduated to get married, but were too much in love to wait. Cody enjoys being a lawyer. His wife, Minakoishi, fulfilled her dream of owning a Dojo. She runs it full time and Cody helps out on the weekends. They have a daughter named Casey, who is six years old now.  
  
Several years after Kari and T.K.'s wedding, the Digidestined were enjoying their new lives. Everything was perfect. Little did they know that something would soon shatter this perfect little world.  
  
It was a nice summer day and all the Digidestined were gathered in the park for a picnic. The kids were playing while the grownups watched. Just when things couldn't get any better, a rain storm came in, disrupting the fun. The picnic was packed up and everyone quickly headed home. Once at home, Kari got the kids dried off and into some dry clothes. The phone rang and she went to answer it.  
  
"Hello, Takashi residence," Kari spoke.  
  
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. I love you. Soon you'll love me too," An anonymous caller said before the line went dead.  
  
Kari had a puzzled look on her face as she hung up the phone.  
  
"Who was that?" T.K. asked walking into the room.  
  
"I'm not really sure," Kari replied. "Just some weird guy who gave me a poem. The funny thing is, it kinda sounded like Davis."  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it," T.K. stated. "Davis has been gone for a long time. It's probably just some kids pulling a prank."  
  
"Now then, since you have been so good, I'll let you pick out one toy Katie," Kari said to her daughter as they shopped in the mall.  
  
"Yay!" Katie cheered as they entered the toy store.  
  
Kari was pushing Alan in the stroller as Katie scanned the shelves for the right toy. Kari saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned only to find that there was nothing there. She dismissed it and continued to follow her daughter. Katie finally made her selection and they went to pay. While at the register, Kari again saw something out of the corner of her eye. When she turned, she saw a man, about her age, browsing the shelves not far from where Kari stood. He turned toward Kari and she swore he looked familiar but, she couldn't place it. Kari pushed the thought aside as they left the store.  
  
After they finished shopping at the mall, Kari dropped the kids at home before getting some groceries at the store. At the store, Kari had the weird feeling that she was being followed. She turned around and saw the same man she'd seen in the toy store. He looked so familiar it bugged her that she couldn't place him. She finished shopping and was walking home when she saw him again at a nearby bus stop. It was really starting to bug her that she couldn't place him.  
  
"Are you all right? You look like something is bothering you," T.K. inquired while helping Kari put the groceries away.  
  
"Well, to be honest, something really weird happened today," Kari began. "I went to the mall with the kids and while I was at the toy store, I saw this guy staring at me. He looked so familiar, but I couldn't place him. The weird thing was, I saw him again at the grocery store and at a bus stop on my way home."  
  
"What did he look like?"  
  
"Well, he was about our age and close to your height with spiky auburn hair. He had this weird look on his face like he could see into my soul. He was wearing all black and he kind of creeped me out."  
  
"Did he have goggles?"  
  
"No. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well he kinda sounds like and older version of Davis. Without the goggles, though, there's no telling," T.K. replied.  
  
"Oh my gosh your right. Now that I think of it he did look like Davis. I knew he looked familiar, I just couldn't place it."  
  
Unbeknownst to T.K. and Kari, the same guy was watching them. "Soon you will be mine," He thought. "No one will be able to stop me." An evil smile crossed his face before he disappeared.  
  
T.K. woke in the middle of the night to see his wife suffering from a nightmare. Her face was contorted in pain and it looked like she'd been crying.  
  
"Kari. Kari wake up," T.K. said trying to wake Kari. He gently shook her. "Please Kari wake up." She bolted upright and blinked a few times. "Kari are you all right?" She tilted her head to the side then turned to face him. "You had a nightmare Kari. Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"No," She replied. T.K. could tell she was acting very strange. Almost like she was a robot. Instinctively he kissed her, which seemed to bring her back to reality. "What happened?" She asked blinking a few times.  
  
"You had a nightmare then started acting weird when I woke you up," T.K. explained.  
  
"Oh. That explains a lot," Kari looked at the ceiling then back at T.K. before continuing. "I don't remember the whole dream, but I remember a lot of it. I was at the park alone when Davis came and sat beside me. We just kind of sat and watched the waves. Then he turned and said something to me. He said, 'Kari, I know we've been friends for a long time, but there's something I have to tell you. I know you feel the same way so, this will be easy for me to say. Kari, I love you.' I remember looking at him and smiling before telling him that I loved him too. I think we kissed because I remember thanking him for the kiss. You saw the kiss and came running up to Davis and threatened him saying if he ever kissed me again you would kill him. I stood up and started screaming, 'I love Davis! Just get over loosing me because I love Davis.' Something happened, that I can't remember, and I saw Davis with a smoking gun standing over your dead body. I smiled lovingly at Davis before he kissed me again. When we broke the kiss I heard a child crying and a little girl screaming, 'Where's my daddy! Somebody please find my daddy! Mommy's gone, daddy's all I have left.' That's when you woke me up." By now tears were streaming down Kari's face.  
  
T.K. pulled her into a hug. "It's going to be all right. It was just a dream."  
  
In the shadow of the night, a clock tolled one o'clock. Someone watched them from the shadows. Soon the shadows would hide him no more. He'd be free to walk the streets of Odiva. He'd be happy with his angel at his side and his rival gone for good. "Dreams can be premonitions dear Kari," He thought. "The future is mine to control. This is my choice. I choose you."

  
T.K.'s pov  
  
It's been two weeks since Kari had the nightmare about Davis. I hate to admit it, but ever since that night, she's been acting real weird. She constantly makes excuses so, she can leave the house, then is gone for hours on end. She's hardly ever home and refuses to tell me where she's been. Katie's scared that we're getting divorced or something like that. I've talked to Tai about Kari and he agrees that this is odd behavior for her. There's only one way I know of to find out where Kari's been going and that's to follow her. I told my idea to Tai and he agreed to help me. It was a Friday when we decided to spy on Kari. Sora would watch the kids while we were gone. Although I hated the idea of spying on Kari, I knew it was the only way.  
  
Kari left at 10 A.M. saying that she had to pick up some things at the store. I told her that was fine and she left. I called Tai and they arrived a few minutes later. Tai and I quickly followed after Kari. We didn't have too much trouble keeping up with her as she walked towards the park. Once at the park, however, we did lose her until Tai spotted her talking with someone. They were too far away for us to make out what the guy looked like, but we both agreed he looked familiar. After talking for a few minutes, Kari and the guy started walking. They were chatting along like old friends when he put his arm around her shoulders. Both Tai and I were shocked by this. The worst part was, Kari didn't seem to mind. At this point I didn't care who this guy was, he had no right to put the moves on my wife!  
  
Kari and the guy soon left the park and were headed towards the mall. Tai and I entered the mall behind them and made sure not to lose them. The way they looked and acted together irritated me. They looked like two people who were obviously dating. Tai was in disbelief just as much as I was. The worst part about it was I knew Kari would come home tonight and act like nothing happened. I would have never, in a million years, thought that Kari was capable of something like this. It was late afternoon when they left the mall. We hid outside the mall, in the bushes, so we could get a good look at the guy Kari was with. Nothing could have prepared Tai and me for what we saw. The guy with Kari was, unmistakably, Davis. He'd been missing for several years and it looked like he'd come back just to steal my girl. As they walked passed us, my heart wrenched when I saw Kari kiss Davis passionately. She would come home and kiss me knowing full well she'd kissed Davis probably more than once all day. Tai looked at me as we stayed behind, the desire to follow gone. Tai put a hand on my shoulder saying that he felt for me. We walked home in silence. Somehow I knew Kari had nothing to do with this. She would never walk out on her children and she would never betray me. Davis always wanted Kari and hated the fact that she chose me. He'd probably planned this all along. Most likely he brainwashed her so, she would go along with everything he said. If what I feared was true, then Kari's Nightmare was a sick premonition and Davis would stop at nothing to get me out of the picture. I feared more for my children than for myself. I had to act fast if I was going to save them. We reached the apartment and told Sora everything. She was just as upset as Tai. Together we made a plan. It had to look like I never saw it coming. If my assumptions about Davis were correct, then there was no way I was going to let him succeed in destroying my family. We made a kit of emergency supplies and extra clothing for the children, then stuffed them into a backpack my daughter could carry. Also included were a list of contact numbers, phone, e-mail, and street addresses, to make sure Katie and Alan could find the people. Sora taught Katie how to use and password her own portable computer. It was based off of a new technology which didn't run on batteries, but got it's power by automatically taping into the phone or power lines of the city. Once that was done, all we could do was wait for Davis to make his move. I had told my daughter what to do in case an intruder came into the house. I hoped I'd have the courage to tell her to run and then face Davis in the worst case scenario, but I knew that I must.  
  
Normal pov  
  
One week after following Kari, T.K. knew the worst was coming. Kari had left to run some errands, on Wednesday, and had yet to come home. T.K. told his children that she was visiting a friend. It wasn't exactly a lie. Katie and Alan were playing in the living room when there was a knock on the door. T.K. looked out the peephole in the door and the color drained from his face.  
  
"Katie," T.K. said, not turning from the door. "Take Alan into your room, get the bag, and close the door." Without a word, Katie complied.  
  
When the door, to Katie's room shut, T.K. opened the front door. Davis stood in the doorway, doing his best to look like the old Davis.  
  
"Hey T.L., Long time no see," Davis greeted cheerfully.  
  
"You're right. It has been awhile. What brings you here?" T.K. asked hiding his emotions.  
  
"Well, I ran into Kari the other day and she said I should stop by and see you and the kids."  
  
"Sure, come on in," T.K. offered politely.  
  
"So, where are the little angels?" Davis inquired.  
  
"Katie, can you come here. There's someone I'd like you to meet," T.K. said to his daughter.  
  
Katie cam out of her room with Alan behind her. She had her backpack on and was trying to read her fathers face for instructions.  
  
"Katie, this is my old friend Davis. Davis this is Katie and Alan," T.K. introduced.  
  
"Well hello there," Davis said kneeling down to her level. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
Katie looked at her father ,who smiled, then she turned towards Davis. "The pleasure is mine."  
  
"You really do have some cute kids," Davis complimented.  
  
"Thanks," T.K. replied. Davis turned his head long enough for T.K. to nod in the direction of the still open door.  
  
Davis stood up and faced T.K. again. As the two adults talked, Katie slowly inched her way towards the front door. Deep down she was scared. She had a felling something bad was going to happen, but she knew that nothing stayed bad forever. As they talked, T.K. noticed that there was something wrong with Davis. Davis was putting on an act that was slowly falling apart. Davis closed his eyes and when he opened them again, T.K. noticed that they had changed from a warm brown to a cold, icy brown. In one movement, Davis reached in his jacket and pulled out a gun. He pointed the gun at T.K. T.K. looked passed Davis, making eye contact with his daughter, and mouthed one word. RUN. Katie grabbed her brother and bolted for the open doorway.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" T.K. asked looking at Davis.  
  
"Why am I doing this? I finally got the chance to realize all of my dreams. Do you remember the day I disappeared?" Davis asked. T.K. nodded. "Well that day I met destiny. I met a Digimon that showed me what my life would be like if certain events were altered. You know what? I liked what I saw. He showed me how to achieve my dreams. It's a very simple solution. All I have to do it get rid of you. Kari will be mine like she should be. It's my choice. I choose to do this. It's my life and I'm prepared to live with the consequences. My life will be better for it so, why should anyone care."  
  
Katie reached the ground floor of the apartment complex when a gunshot rang out. She paused for a heartbeat as a lump formed in her throat. She swallowed as her legs carried her, automatically, through the streets. She tried to hold them back, but soon tears were flowing down her face. Her brother started to cry as she held him close. She knew he was just reacting to her own tears. She ran for what seemed like hours until her legs finally gave out. She looked around and realized she was in the middle of Tokyo. She'd been there with her parents before. Somehow they'd make it out all right. They would never loose Hope.  
  
"That fool," A voice uttered from the shadows. "I never would have thought it so easy, but then he was the perfect person. No one suspected him for a minute. A nice little disappearing act, then bribe him for his silence. The fool! He may have just single handedly helped me destroy the entire world. With Hope gone and Light corrupted, nothing can stop me. Oh the fool got what he wanted. It was indeed his choice, but his own life? Not quite. You have yet to learn, young Davis. Each action has a reaction. Not only did you get your rival out of the way, but you made two children homeless. In your choice you destroyed someone else's life to make yours better. There are consequences to each choice. Some are good and some are bad. Yours will be innumerably bad. By the time you realize the consequences to your choice, I will have taken over both your world and mine. Foolish creature! Your choice will be your undoing." The evil Digimon laughed maniacally into the night.  
  
Authors Note: The chapters will start to get a bit longer. The next one is short, but after that they start to get longer. The random point of view change was unintentional. I was on a role, when I wrote this, and only on a re-read did I notice the change in pov. However, I found in editing that it was necessary so, it wasn't changed. Anyway, please read and review. The next chapter should be up by next week.


	5. My Life

Authors Note: Thanks to those who reviewed. ( This chapter is a little short, another one to set things up. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to review. (I cannot afford a smoking permit so please no flames. Thanks. )  
  
Chapter 4: My Life  
  
Dramatis Persona (list of characters)  
  
Tai and Sora: Still happily married. They are still dealing with T.K's death and have yet to hear anything from Kari. With the support of the rest of the Digidestined, they all manage to find the strength to move on. They are in the process of locating their Niece and Nephew who have managed disappear. Taylor is 12 years old now and Kristy is 10 years old.  
  
Matt and Mimi: Still happily married. Like Tai and Sora they are also dealing with the tragic news. They immerse themselves in their careers a little too much as their own way of dealing with it. They still manage to find time to be with their children, though. Mark is 12 years old now and Lilly is 10 years old.  
  
Ken and Yolie: Still happily married. Yolie is still in the process of dealing with Kari's disappearance. They were really good friends and, like everyone else, was shocked to hear the tragic news. Yolie immerses herself in the housework. On the upside, they can boast the cleanest house in the neighborhood. Kevin is 11 years old now, Kelly is 10 years old and Sam is 8 years old.  
  
Joe: Since the death of his wife, Joe has established an excellent relationship with his son and makes sure that his son comes first. After hearing the news that befell the Takashi's, he wonders if the Digidestined are destined to endure more hardships and tragedies in the future. Jake is 10 years old now.  
  
Izzy: Still keeps in touch with his ex-wife through his daughter. His ex- wife gets Sakura every other weekend. Sakura has a great relationship with her mother and Izzy has been cutting back on his work so, he can spend more time with Sakura. Like the others, he too is still coping with the tragic loss of T.K. and Kari. Sakura is 11 years old now.  
  
T.K. and Kari: T.K. was killed during a moment of insanity by someone he thought was a friend. Kari is missing in action. No one has seen her or knows where to start looking. For all intents and purposes, she has disappeared off the face of the Earth. Their children, Katie and Alan have also gone missing.  
  
Cody: Still happily married. Like Yolie, the tragic events of the Takashi's effected Cody deeply. He took a month off from work to deal with it. How he dealt with it is something only his family knows. Casey is 11 years old now.  
  
Five years later   
  
(song)  
  
_Sleep well tonight, dear Angel  
Let not your fears awake  
When Mornings light falls on your head  
Find comfort in it's light  
When hope seems so far away  
It's closer than you think  
Dear Angel of Joy  
Sleep well tonight  
  
_ A small girl of about 10, sat in an alleyway with her little five year old brother. In their short lives they had seen more than most people see in their life times. They were orphans by circumstance. Yet, they never lost hope. Some day things would be better. As she sang her lullaby, her brother slept in her arms. His Joy fueled her Faith. She reached up and caressed the necklace she wore. Her mother had given it to her on her fifth birthday. On the chain were two crests. Hers was Faith and her brothers was Joy. A smile played on her lips as she remembered her mother. Always happy and full of Light. She could capture any moment perfectly on film. It was a hobby her daughter loved. The girl remembered her father, for his great stories and the way he always made them laugh. Someday they would be a family again.  
  
Her brother stirred and opened his eyes. He looked up at her smiling face. "What's so happy K?"  
  
"Just thinking about mom and dad," She replied.  
  
"Oh. Can you tell me 'gain K? 'Bout mommy and daddy? Pwease!"  
  
"All right," K said almost laughing at the way her brother spoke. She talked for hours about their parents. She promised herself she wouldn't let her brother forget about them.  
  
She had gotten to the good part of a story when something, in her bag, started beeping. She dug through her bag and retrieved the portable computer she'd forgotten about. Suddenly remembering everything her Aunt taught her, she discovered the beeping was connected to another world. She recognized it as a portal to, what her parents had called, the Digital World. She hit a few buttons and a Digiport was projected in front of them. She put the computer back in her bag, slung it over her shoulders and taking her brothers hand, entered the portal. Once inside the Digital World, she couldn't help but admire the wonder around her. She could tell her brother was excited, but she held tight to his hand. The last thing she needed was to loose him in a new place. A white cat walked up to the two children and stared at them.  
  
"Hello. You must be the children of Faith and Joy we've been expecting," the white cat greeted.  
  
"You can talk!" K said in astonishment.  
  
The cat giggled. "You'll find we do a lot more than just talk. What are your names?"  
  
"You can call me K.T. and this is my brother A.J.," K.T. replied.  
  
"It's nice to meet you. My name's Gatomon," The cat replied.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" K.T. exclaimed. "You're mom's Digimon."  
  
"Then that makes meeting you even more special. Sadly I haven't seen Kari since the defeat of Malomyotismon."  
  
"Due to the gate closing," K.T. answered.  
  
"How did you know?" Gatomon asked.  
  
"Just a lucky guess," K.T. replied rubbing the back of her head.  
  
"Well I can definitely see who you take after," Gatomon began. "You have T.K.'s looks and Kari's personality and your brother has Kari's looks and T.K.'s personality."  
  
K.T. smiled at this. Gatomon explained that both K.T. and her brother A.J. were Digidestined, but due to the circumstances surrounding them, their Digivices couldn't be delivered. That was why the two children were brought to the Digital World. Gatomon took them to meet Gennai. Once there, Gennai explained about their Digivices, crests, and Digimon. A.J. was too young to be given the responsibility so, K.T. would hold onto his Digivice for the time being. Gennai also explained about an evil Digimon who had recently gained power. It was up to K.T. and the other Digidestined, she would meet later, to stop the evil from spreading.  
  
"Lilly! Hurry up, we're gonna be late!" A 12 year old boy yelled.  
  
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Mark! Slow down! You know I can't run as fast as you!" Lilly yelled after her older brother.  
  
"Fine sis, but we're really late. You just take too long to get ready," Mark said.  
  
"You're one to talk," Lilly retorted. "It takes you 20 minutes to get ready. Five to get dressed and 15 to fix your hair. You're worse than dad!"  
  
"Well you take twice as long."  
  
"At least I don't just concentrate on one thing. Besides, as mom would say, you can't rush beauty."  
  
"Really? I don't see any beauty here."  
  
"Why you! I outa mess up your hair for that!"  
  
"Took you guys long enough," An 11 year old girl with red hair stated, never taking her eyes off her laptop.  
  
"Hey Sakura," Lilly greeted placing a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Sorry we're late, but Mark took too long on his hair."  
  
"Did not!" Mark shot back re-fixing his blonde hair.  
  
"Before we have another fight between you two, I must intervene. We are here for a reason you know," A boy, the same age as Mark, with a huge mop of brown hair said.  
  
"No problem Taylor," Mark replied.  
  
"Good. Now then, Sakura, why don't you explain why we're all here," Taylor asked.  
  
"Gladly. I got an email recently from an old friend. You all remember Gennai right?" Sakura began. All heads nodded in agreement with her question. "Well, he emailed me saying that a new evil Digimon has been reeking havoc in the Digital World. Sadly, this Digimon has been on the loose for five years. As a result, there is no telling what kind of damage has been caused. Also, there seems to be a new Digidestined. He or she won't be joining our group for a while, but Gennai though we should know in advance. Gennai also gave us a starting place in locating the evil Digimon. The caves near Infinity mountain. Our Digimon are waiting there for us."  
  
"Thanks Sakura. I say let's not waste any more time and go to the Digital World now," Taylor stated. Everyone agreed and they were soon in the Digital World.  
  
Authors Note: Sorry this is so short. dodges things being thrown at her by angry readers I promise the next one will be longer, have more in it, and explain things a little better. I'll try and have it up by next week. This is the start of shifting the focus onto the children. The parents will still be involved, but this story is mainly focused on the children as I stated in the beginning. Anyway, please review. I know you want to. ;) 


	6. When Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonad...

Authors Note: Thanks to my faithful readers. This is the first fan fic I've written that got this many reviews! This is also the start of longer chapters. Yay! I hope you enjoy this fic and please review. Flames are asked to leave before I sick Angewomon on you.  
  
Disclaimer: As always I own nothing Digimon related. Everything else is mine.  
  
Chapter 5: When Life Gives You Lemons. Make Lemonade.  
  
Dramatis Persona (list of characters)  
  
Tai and Sora: Still happily married. Currently in the process of looking for their Niece and Nephew, Katie and Alan.  
  
Taylor: (12)Like his father, he has taken the responsibility of  
leading his group of Digidestined. When not fighting evil Digimon, he  
plays soccer. He takes after his father in a lot of ways.  
  
Kristy: (10) She's also a member of the Digidestined team and loves  
keeping her older brother in line.  
She takes after her mother in many ways.  
  
Matt and Mimi: Still happily married. They still engross themselves in work to the point were people think they are too busy being famous to care about things. The truth is, they do make time to be with their kids as much as possible.  
  
Mark: (12) He tends to be looked upon as the second in command of the  
Digidestined group. He strives to keep order in the group while  
constantly bickering with his little sister. He takes after his  
father most of the time.  
  
Lilly: (10) Is a member of the Digidestined team. She hates fighting  
with her brother but feels he deserves every insult for what he says  
to her. She tends to take after her mother, however, she is not as  
material oriented as her mother once was.

Ken and Yolie: Still happily married. In everything they do, they make sure that their children come first. They are very proud at how their children are growing.

Kevin: (11) He is a member of the Digidestined team. He looks after  
his two younger siblings to an extent that they don't even know he is  
watching out for them. He makes sure that any disagreement between  
the siblings is resolved without name calling or yelling. A feat that  
make his parents proud.  
  
Kelly: (10) Though she is a middle child, she doesn't seem to suffer  
like other middle children can. She gets along real well with her  
older and younger brothers. She is a member of the Digidestined team  
just like them and enjoys every minute. She tends to take after her  
mother more than her father, whereas Kevin seems to be half and half.  
  
Sam: (8) He is the youngest, but his parents make sure not to give him  
any special treatment. He has a weird behavior where he ends up  
taking an afternoon nap. No matter were he is, he will fall asleep at  
exactly the same time every day. His parents believe that he will  
grow out of it. He is a member of the Digidestined team, like his  
siblings. Both Kevin and Kelly look after him, while in the Digital  
World, and even trade shifts of carrying him when he falls asleep. He  
doesn't appear to take after either of his parents. Joe: Still makes time for his son. They have a great relationship.  
  
Jake: (10) He is a member of the Digidestined team as well. He's  
reliable, dependable, and tends to take care of the Digidestineds well  
being just like his father. However, that is were the similarities  
end. His father tells him that he takes after his mother a lot more. Izzy: Has managed to get a decent work schedule that allows proper time with his daughter. He encourages her to spend time with her mother as well as spending time with him.  
  
Sakura: (11) She has a great relationship with both her parents even  
though they are divorced. Ever since she was little, she has shared a  
special language with her father. Many had a feeling this would lead  
to her following in her fathers footsteps and they were right. She  
shares the same love for computers that her father has. This makes  
her a valuable addition to the Digidestined team. She takes on a lot  
of the same duties and responsibilities that her father had when he  
was a Digitestined.  
  
T.K. and Kari: Deceased and missing in action.  
  
Katie: Missing.  
  
Alan: Missing Cody: Still happily married. His wife, Minakoishi or Mina for short, insisted on raising their daughter in various martial arts. Much to Cody's delight, her favorite is Kendo.  
  
Casey: (11) She is also a member of the Digidestined team. She's very  
level headed despite the fact that she could cause serious injury to  
any one she wanted to. She holds a black belt in four different forms  
of martial arts making her mother and father very proud. Learning  
these forms of martial arts has helped her to have a better  
understanding and awareness for life. It also gives her a kind of  
discipline she would not get anywhere else. She takes after both of  
her parents.  
  
K.T.: An orphaned 10 year old girl who is forced to take care of her  
little five year old brother, due to certain circumstances. She may  
be the long lost daughter of T.K. and Kari, but it is uncertain.  
  
Spring had arrived and although most people were enjoying it, many were not. It didn't help that evil "creatures" were running about wreaking havoc either. Still, life went on. In most places you wouldn't notice there were any problems at all. In fact, in the midst of Tokyo, business went about as usual.  
  
"Excuse me. Could you spare some change?" A ten year old girl with long blonde hair asked a passerby.  
  
"Get lost filthy beggar!" The man snapped back.  
  
Turning to the next person, the girl continued. "Please. Can you give us some food? My little brother hasn't eaten in a while and he's real hungry. I don't need..." She trailed off as the person kept walking.  
  
"Can you please spare some change?" The girl asked again. She received the same response as before. She knew that most people hated beggars. Even little kids who needed certain things to survive were ignored. It was a normal occurrence. Hardly anyone cared about anyone but themselves, these days. That would be their downfall. An invasion was coming. An invasion of evil Digimon and no one would know it until it was too late. Two hours later, the girl successfully got enough money to buy some bread. It wasn't much, but it worked.  
  
"K. Will we ever see mommy and daddy again?" A.J. asked his sister.  
  
"Someday. Probably not until we get to heaven, though," K.T. replied.  
  
"That's where daddy is, wight."  
  
"Yep. I'm sure he's looking down on us and smiling."  
  
"'Cause he pwoud."  
  
"Yeah. He'd be happy we made it this far. Don't you worry. Someday things will be better. We'll finally figure out what this list of phone numbers means and maybe that will be the start of our new life."  
  
"Are we gonna be wich?"  
  
"Probably not, but we will be just a bit happier." 

&&&

"Mom! Dad! We're home!" Kelly yelled as she and her two brothers entered their house. Her long, violet hair was slightly wind blown from the cool breeze outside. She ran her fingers through it as her ruby eyes scanned the apartment. There was no answer. "Guess their not home." They were removing their shoes when the phone rang.  
  
"Ichijouji residents," Kevin said, answering the phone. "I'm sorry, she's not home right now, but I'll give her the message. Bye."  
  
"Who was that?" Kelly asked her older brother.  
  
"That was Taylor's mom, Mrs. Kamiya. Something about mom helping to make cookies for a bake sale."  
  
"Oh. Where's Sam?" Kelly asked.  
  
"In his room. He always sleeps around this time, remember," Kevin replied. He also ran a hand through his black hair in attempt to tame it.  
  
"I still can't believe he takes a nap. He's eight years old."  
  
"Tell me about it," Kevin agreed as he rolled his hazel eyes. "Mom says he'll grow out of it eventually."  
  
"I sure hope so. Hey, mom left us a note," Kelly said.  
  
"What she say?" Kevin asked.  
  
"She said that dad and she had to go meet with Mr. Izumi. Something about the Digital World. She said there's food in the fridge or money on the counter if we want take out. Your call Kevin."  
  
"What's in the fridge?"  
  
"Let's see. Leftovers, half eaten sandwiches, Kevin," Kelly accused, glaring at her brother.  
  
"What? I meant to eat them. Honest!" Kevin protested.  
  
Kelly rolled her eyes. "Oh, there's Mrs. Ishida's famous sushi rolls and some teriyaki chicken."  
  
"Sounds good. I'll get some plates." Kevin offered.  
  
"Sounds like a plan. I love Mrs. Ishida's cooking almost as much as mom and dad's." Kelly added.  
  
"Same here." Kevin agreed, helping Kelly get dinner ready.  
  
By the time dinner was ready, Sam had woken up from his nap and was ready to eat. After dinner, the three decided to play video games until their parents got home. It was past midnight when Ken and Yolie arrived home. They walked into the living room and found their children fast asleep. Smiling, they carefully tucked them into bed.  
  
"I sure hope they can handle what Izzy says is in store for them," Yolie said.  
  
"I wouldn't worry. When we were their age we handled things just as tough, if not tougher," Ken replied.  
  
"I guess you're right. I shouldn't worry too much," Yolie stated. She turned off the video game system before heading to bed. 

&&&  
  
"Hey mom, dad, I'm home," Casey said as she entered the house next to her families Dojo. She removed her shoes and went looking for her parents. She found her dad on the back porch. Normally he would be practicing Kendo, but not today. "Hey dad. What's wrong?" Casey asked as she sat by her father. Her brown eyes looked up at him with concern.  
  
Cody sighed before turning towards his daughter. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Casey." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You remember how mom had that doctors appointment today?" Casey nodded. "Well I went with her and the doctor discovered a lump on her right lung. In other words, your mother has cancer. It's treatable with Chemo therapy, but there's only a 50/50 chance she'll make it. I don't want you to worry too much about this, but I think you're old enough to know. She needs our help and support now." He could see the tears starting to form in Casey's eyes. Cody pulled his daughter into a hug and gently stroked her dark brown hair. Part of him wished this didn't have to happen and the other part knew it was a sad reality of life. He wasn't sure how he would tell the other Digidestined, but he knew it would be easier now that he'd told his daughter.

&&&  
  
"I told you I could kick the ball farther than you!"  
  
"Oh yeah, well maybe if you didn't have so much hair your brain could actually fit inside your head!"  
  
"Taylor, Kristy, that's enough! Now apologize and quite arguing. You're giving me a headache," Sora scolded.  
  
"Sorry mom. Sorry Taylor/Kristy," They said in unison.  
  
"Hey guys. Any luck?" Tai asked, joining the conversation.  
  
"No. You'd think two kids would be easy to find," Taylor replied.  
  
"Maybe if you put down that soccer ball once in a while and actually looked you could find your lost humility," Kristy retorted, ignoring what her mom had said. Taylor stuck his tongue out in response.  
  
"All right you two! Go to your rooms until dinner," Sora ordered. The two complied making faces at each other the whole way. "I just wish those two would learn to get along!" Sora remarked, turning back to her dinner preparations.  
  
"You know where they get it from," Tai stated, joining Sora in the kitchen. "Matt's kids."  
  
"As much as I like Matt and Mimi, I have to agree with you Tai," Sora responded. "I just wish they'd stop being famous for one minute and discipline their children."  
  
"Agreed. Since were such great friends with Matt and Mimi, our children have become great friends."  
  
"I wish there was something we could do to find our niece and nephew," Sora said, changing the subject.  
  
"You wouldn't think it would be hard to find two kids like them," Tai replied.  
  
"I know. I just keep hoping they're all right. It's not safe for kids to live on the streets. I'm just worried because they haven't contacted us yet. Of all people, why did it have to be them?"  
  
"I wish I knew Sora. I wish I knew."

&&&

"Where we goin' K?" A.J. asked his sister as she carried him, piggyback style, through the streets.  
  
"We gotta find a new place to live. Their making a new parking garage where we used to live so, we gotta move," K.T. replied.  
  
The two walked down the deserted streets in a "bad" part of Tokyo. K.T. started to get a little uneasy when she saw the creepy looks they were getting. "K, awe we wost?" A.J. whispered.  
  
"I think so," K.T. whispered back. She started to get scared, then she remembered something her mom had said. When you feel like the darkness is closing in, grab hold of the light. Let the light guide your steps and your fear will melt away.  
  
K.T. smiled and searched for the light. Soon enough she saw a ray of light peeking through the darkened alleyways. She started walking faster towards it and soon found herself in the middle of downtown Tokyo. The streets were crowded and many people just walked past them.  
  
"K. Yook!" A.J. exclaimed from his perch on K.T.'s back. "Yemonade! Can I twy some? Pwease, pwease, pwease!"  
  
K.T. dug through her pockets looking for any change she might have. No luck. She sighed. Suddenly she got an idea. The vendor looked nice enough. Maybe, just maybe her plan would work. "Excuse me sir," K.T. said to the man selling lemonade. "I don't have any money, but my little brother has never tasted lemonade and I was wondering if you'd let him have just one little taste. Please." She looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes.  
  
The vendor looked her over and was obviously disgusted with her appearance. He wrinkled his nose realizing she hadn't had a bath in a very long time. "I'm sorry miss, but If I gave you something for free everyone would want a free one and I would loose all my money. Now go away before you chase off my customers."  
  
K.T. turned and left. "Sorry A.J. I tried."  
  
"It's O.K. I still wuv you."  
  
"Thanks bro."  
  
"Excuse me miss." A woman with waist length brown hair and brown eyes said. She was standing in the doorway of a café. "I couldn't help but see what happened. Do you by any chance know how to make lemonade?"  
  
"Yes mame. My momma taught me when I was real little," K.T. replied.  
  
"Well, I just had to let one of my people go and unfortunately she was the only one who knew how to make really good lemonade. With summer approaching my customers will be asking for some. I can't give you a lot of money, but I'm sure it will be enough. I have a small place above the café where I live. I have an extra room and you're welcome to have it if you want."  
  
K.T. just stared at the lady. "Are you serious mame?"  
  
"Yes I am," She said smiling.  
  
"As long as meals are included, my brother can come with, and we can take a bath, I'll do it," K.T. stated.  
  
"Then we have a deal." The two shook hands. "By the way, you can call me Nakuru or Ru for short."  
  
"I'm K.T. and my brother is A.J."  
  
"Well it's nice to meet you both," Ru replied leading them inside and up to the apartment they would share.  
  
"My moma always said, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'" K.T. stated.  
  
Ru laughed. "Sounds like something my dad said." 

&&&  
  
"Hey Wu, do you know any Angel stowies?" A.J. asked later that night. K.T. had already gone to bed, but A.J. couldn't sleep.  
  
"Not that I can think of," Ru replied. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, I don't renember awot about my mommy and daddy, but I renember them talking about Angels. Mommy has Angewoman to watch over her and daddy has Angemon. One Angel is Light, the other is Hope. I want to know if there's an Angel of Joy so that I can have one too," A.J. explained.  
  
Ru smiled at the way A.J.'s five year old brain worked. "A.J., I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you had an Angel of Joy. It's getting late and I think you should go to bed."  
  
"Leave us alone! No, mommy don't go. Please stay with us. Don't hurt us. Why do you hate us? No! Please stop," K.T. said in her sleep.  
  
Ru heard this and looked towards the bedroom worriedly. "Don't worry Wu. K does this evwy night. She has bad dweams. Bad things happened to mommy and daddy, that's why we're on our own. She was five when the bad things happened. She saw everything."  
  
Ru contemplated what A.J. told her. She had wondered why the two were living on the streets, but she didn't want to pry. Now she knew she couldn't ask. She'd have to let K.T. tell her on her own time. After putting A.J. to bed, she decided to read a little before going to bed.

&&&  
  
"Hey Ru. How's it going?" Asked a ten year old girl with shoulder length, auburn hair and ice blue eyes. Her 12 year old brother, with blonde hair and the same blue eyes, stood next to her.  
  
"Well if it isn't two of my favorite customers," Ru remarked, pulling her brown hair back into a pony tail. Her chocolate brown eyes sparkled as she address the two children. "Now then, what can I do for you Mark and Lilly?"  
  
"We'd like some lemonade if you don't mind," Mark said.  
  
"It would be my pleasure," Ru replied. "We have a new girl making it this time and it's all we can do to keep it coming. Seeing as it's starting to become our number one best seller, I may have to up the price. However, for you two, it's on me." She smiled as she handed them their lemonade. "What brings you to this part of town?"  
  
"Well we wanted to see mom's cooking show so, we thought we'd drop by and surprise her," Lilly explained.  
  
"That's nice. I hope she enjoys the surprise," Ru stated.

&&&  
  
"Master. The gate is opened and the warriors are ready to leave," A Digimon said.  
  
"Excellent. Proceed as planned. My plan will not fail. Today we shall rule both worlds," An evil Digimon stated from the shadows.  
  
"Very well master."

&&&  
  
"Two surprises in two days. I must be having a good week. What brings you to this part of town?" Ru greeted her customers.  
  
"I just won the soccer championship at our school," Taylor announced. His mop of brown hair was a bit bigger than Ru remembered but his brown eyes were still as mischievous as ever.  
  
"You mean, helped your 'team' win. Right Taylor," Kristy corrected. She had her short, red hair pulled up in a high pony tail and her ruby red eyes had a teasing glint in them.  
  
"Whatever," Taylor remarked.  
  
Ru couldn't help but notice how much these two were starting to look like their parents.  
  
"Hey Ru. Nice to see you again," Tai said as he followed his children into the café.  
  
"It sure is Tai, Sora. I hear a celebration is in order," She commented winking.  
  
"Well it's his first championship title so, it's only fair," Sora remarked.  
  
Ru came around the counter to chat with the family as they found some empty seats. A noise could be heard and then some yelling. "If you'll excuse me. It seems there is a bit of a disaster in the kitchen," Ru said excusing herself. She rushed into the kitchen only to find a fruity mess and A.J. in the middle of it.  
  
"I make fruit explode!" He said grinning.  
  
Ru fought a smile as she scolded him while escorting him upstairs for a bath. "K.T., we have some new customers at table 15. Make some of your famous lemonade for them and I'll be back to serve them."  
  
"What flavor do I make Ru?" K.T. inquired. Now that most of the fruit was ripe, K.T. had been getting creative mixing different fruits for her lemonade.  
  
"I forgot about that. Have Rika ask while you clean up this mess," Ru replied.  
  
"O.K. Rika, ask the people at table 15 which flavor of lemonade they would like. It's on Ru," K.T. said.  
  
"All right," Rika responded.  
  
"Good afternoon. I'm Rika and I'm acting on Ru's behalf while she's dealing with the mini disaster. You may choose any flavor of lemonade as a special treat while you wait for her return."  
  
"What flavors do you have?" Kristy asked.  
  
"We have strawberry, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, grape, pineapple, and regular lemonade."  
  
"I'll try strawberry," said Kristy.  
  
"I'll have that too," Sora added.  
  
"I'll have cherry," Taylor stated.  
  
"I'll try raspberry," Tai replied.  
  
"All right then. I'll be right out with your lemonade."  
  
By the time Rika returned, K.T. had moped up the whole floor. Ru soon returned and delivered the lemonades to the Kamiya's.  
  
"Since when did lemonade become your specialty Ru?" Sora asked.  
  
"Since I hired an excellent lemonade maker. She's a really good cook too. She makes our famous cookies and brownies as well. It's hard to believe she's only ten years old. Speaking of which, would you like to try some of her cookies?" Ru offered.  
  
Before they could answer, a loud explosion rocked the building. A ten year old girl, with her long blonde hair pulled back in a kerchief, came running out of the kitchen. She opened the door and looked outside. Black smoke filled the air about a hundred feet away. Something caught her attention and she knew in an instant what it was.  
  
"Everyone away from the windows!" K.T. ordered as she ran back inside. The tone of her voice and the look in her sky blue eyes told them not to argue.  
  
"K.T., what on earth is going on?" Ru demanded as the girl joined her in the back of the café.  
  
"No time," K.T. replied as the building shook and the front window shattered. "Crap," K.T. muttered as she raced towards the kitchen. She took the stairs two at a time as she ran to the upstairs apartment. She found her brother very scared but not injured. She threw her stuff in her bag and carried her brother piggyback style.  
  
Meanwhile, everyone was recovering from the shock of the blast. "Ru, what did you call that blonde girl?" Tai asked.  
  
"K.T.," Ru replied.  
  
"You mean Katie," Tai corrected.  
  
"No. K period. T period. It's two initials, I think. She's really weird when it comes to telling personal stuff," Ru responded.  
  
Taylor and Kristy's Digivices started beeping. "Dad, we've got trouble," Taylor announced.  
  
"What kind of trouble?" Sora asked, joining the conversation.  
  
"It seems a portal has opened and evil Digimon are attacking Tokyo. I knew those were no normal explosions," Kristy explained.  
  
"Just what we need. More trouble," Tai muttered.  
  
Just then K.T. burst through the kitchen with A.J. on her back. "Where the heck are you going? It's dangerous out there," Ru said.  
  
"I know, but if I don't go now this place will be crawling with evil creatures. They're attracted to this purple electronic thing I have. They've been following me for months. I have to leave now so no one gets hurt," K.T. replied. "Thanks for the hospitality and everything. This is something I have to do. Have a little Faith in me and everything will be all right."  
  
"Do you need any help?" Ru asked.  
  
"Not unless you know how to work an advanced, portable computer, or the whereabouts of a person called Sora. My memory isn't as good as it should be," K.T. replied before leaving out the front door.  
  
Sora looked at Tai. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Taylor, Kristy, don't let her out of your sight," Tai told his children. They nodded and ran after her. "I can't believe it. All this time and they were practically under our noses," Tai mused, dumbfounded.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ru inquired.  
  
"That girl and her brother are out niece, Katie, and nephew, Alan. They've been missing for five years. We've looked everywhere only to find she's been working for you," Sora explained.  
  
"Well, I've only had her here for a little over a month," Ru stated.  
  
"That's long enough," Sora said.

&&&  
  
"Man that girl can run," Taylor stated as he started to get winded.  
  
"You're one to talk, Mr. 'I won the soccer championship'. You should have no trouble catching her," Kristy remarked.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
K.T. turned a corner and stopped running. By now she'd left Tokyo and the Digimon threat. She was in one of Tokyo's neighboring cities. Odiva. Most of the houses and apartments she had passed were either new or well kept. The apartment complex she stopped in front of, however, looked like it hadn't been lived in, in years. She let her brother down and followed her feet where they took her. A.J. followed not knowing where they were going. K.T. ascended the stairs to the fourth floor of the apartment complex. Taylor and Kristy had caught up and were following K.T. at a distance.  
  
On the fourth floor, K.T.'s feet led her to an apartment with the number 415 on the door. She paused before slowly opening the door. Warm feelings washed over her as the sent of Cherry Blossoms and Juniper filled her nose. She was instantly transported to a world of memories. Stories told over bedtime, cookies baked in the late afternoon, and laughter that never seemed to end. A smile played on her lips as she let the memories wash over her. A song came to mind as she gathered her courage to walk inside.  
  
(song)  
  
_When the darkness comes to take you away_

_ Let the light be your guide, always _

_Days will come and go _

_The sun will rise and set _

_Don't forget my love will endure_

__

_  
  
I may be miles from you, my love_

_ Never fear I'm not far from your heart _

_I'll hold you close and promise you, we will never be apart_

__

_  
  
Seasons change _

_Seasons go _

_I'll love you where you go _

_Just as long as you hold me in your heart_

__

_  
  
Our time together is fleeting_

_ Like the cherry blossoms that bloom _

_But you'll always have a place in my heart_

__

_  
  
Light in the darkness give her hope tonight _

_May she hold her head up high _

_May she someday realize that destiny awaits _

_Let her not stray from my light _

_May hope be her guide_

__

_  
  
Guard my little ones tonight, dear light _

_Keep them safe as they sleep_

_ If I should leave, keep them safe _

_Keep the light that burns bright in their hearts _

_May my light and his hope never leave their side_

__

_  
  
Light in the dark, give them hope tonight _

_May they hold their heads up high_

_ May they someday realize their destiny _

_Let them not stray from my light _

_May hope be their guide_

__

_  
_  
Unknowingly, K.T. had sung the song out loud. A lullaby her brother and she had heard so many times in their youth. Tears were streaming down her face. This was her house. A place she once lived, when her family was whole.  
  
Kristy and Taylor peeked in the door. They watched as K.T. and A.J. explored the house. "Hey Taylor, doesn't this place look familiar?" Kristy whispered.  
  
"Yeah," Taylor whispered back. "I can't seem to place it, though."  
  
K.T. was looking through some stuff when she found something her mom used to wear. It was a small crystal angel with a pink starburst like carving on it. The angel hung on a silver chain. "Dad always called her Angel," K.T. said as she fingered the angel. K.T. found the many photo albums when she heard a noise at the door. She looked up and saw two kids staring at her through the open doorway. "Who the heck are you?" K.T. asked, shocked that anyone was there.  
  
"Busted," Taylor said under his breath.  
  
Kristy glared at her brother. "I'm Kristy and this is my brother Taylor. We were instructed to follow you by our dad."  
  
"Why?" K.T. asked getting suspicious.  
  
"Well it's kind of a long story," Kristy began. "Basically we were at Ru's café, celebrating my brothers soccer championship, when all the explosions started happening. You ran out from the kitchen, said some stuff and my dad made us follow you. I promise we're not here to hurt you."  
  
K.T. looked at the two. There was something oddly familiar about them. They looked like younger versions of someone she should know. Just then a beeping could be heard. It was coming from something Taylor was holding.  
  
"Awe man. Why now? Of all times why now?" Taylor complained.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kristy asked her brother.  
  
"It's Sakura. She says we got big trouble in Tokyo. Apparently there are new evil Digimon attacking. She already has our Digimon waiting," Taylor explained.  
  
"What about what dad asked us to do? I'm sure it's just as important as what's going on in the Digital World. After all this time searching we can't leave them again. For all we know, we could lose them again for another five years," K.T. countered.  
  
"I know Kristy. That's why dad made us follow them. He'd be real made if we left them. However, I'm the leader of this group and the others can only hold down the fort for so long," Taylor responded.  
  
"Hello, I'm right here! It's rude to talk about a person with them standing in earshot," K.T. said exasperated.  
  
"Sorry," Taylor and Kristy said in unison.  
  
"What are you talking about with the Digital World business and were you serious when you said that you'd been looking for us for five years?" K.T. questioned.  
  
"Well, Kristy and I haven't been looking for the full five years, but mom and dad have," Taylor explained.  
  
"I emailed mom. She said we should meet back at the café. K.T. and A.J. can stash their stuff at our place on the way," Kristy informed. She looked K.T. in the eyes. If that's all right with you, we should get going."  
  
"It's better than staying here. Let me get my brother and my stuff," K.T. agreed.  
  
After grabbing what she needed and closing the door, K.T. followed the Kamiya children to their place. She quickly put her bag in Kristy's room, making sure she had both Digivices and the portable computer, then left. The four ran back to Tokyo where they met up with Tai and Sora.  
  
"K.T., A.J., this is my dad, Tai, and my mom, Sora," Kristy introduced.  
  
"Auntie Sora! Uncle Tai!" A.J. screamed as he saw the two adults. He had his arms outstretched, asking to be hugged.  
  
Tai and Sora exchanged shocked expressions before Sora pulled him into a hug. "I can't believe you remember us," Sora mused.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," K.T. said. "I'm sorry, but my memory has been failing me lately. I know that I should know you by face, but I don't. Your names sound familiar, but I can't honestly place them."  
  
"That's all right," Sora stated. "If it would help, our last name is Kamiya. Tai is your mothers older brother."  
  
K.T. looked pensive as she rolled those things around in her head. Suddenly it hit her. Memories came flooding through her head like a flood gate had been opened. "I remember the scent of lavender and lilies. Aunt Sora and moma would help me bake cookies while Uncle Tai tried to convince me that soccer was an indoor sport. You'd take me to the park on Sundays so mom and dad could be alone. I loved the scent of sweet peas so, Sora always called me her sweet pea. I'd spend a few afternoons in the Takenouchi flower shop just enjoying the sight and smell of so many flowers. I'd play hide and seek with my cousins, then dad would tell us stories of angels and monsters and special powers. You were there when moma started acting weird. She had really scary nightmares too. I used to pray that Angewoman would help her, but she didn't. You weren't there when daddy died. I was so scared and alone and wished you would come and make things better, but you didn't. I wasn't always alone. Daddy's special angel would come and visit me in my dreams. He'd tell me that I must not lose Hope. I never did. That's why I finally found you. Now it's O.K. if we don't see mommy and daddy again, because we haven't lost ALL of our family," K.T. looked up at Tai and Sora with a smile. Now she was truly happy.

&&&

"Curses! I had her right where I wanted her. I made her memory fail. She was never supposed to reunite with them. Now my plan has failed," An evil Digimon ranted.  
  
"Master, we are making progress. Soon the city will be ours," One of the Digimons minions reported.  
  
"Perfect. Now, I just have to find a way to get rid of those meddling Digidestined," The evil Digimon stared at the wall for a moment, thinking. "I hate those stupid meddling Kamiyas!" He spat the name like it was poison in his mouth. "I should have had that moron human destroy them as well."  
  
"Don't worry, master. Once the Digidestined fall, the Kamiyas will fall as well," the minion assured. His master smiled an evil grin.  
  
Authors Note: Hopefully that satisfied you readers. Please review. The song in this chapter and the one in the last chapter, I wrote myself. There's more action in the next chapter. I'll try and get it our as soon as possible. I'm also going to post another story soon. It's my attempt at a humor fic. You can check it out if you like. It's called A Digital Fantasy. It'll probably be up in a week or so. Basically a little story to tide you over while I work on this one ;) 


	7. Danger

Authors Note: I hope everyone is enjoying this. Well I know at least one of you is. What happened to everyone? Did they all go on vacation at the same time or is this so boring that I chased them away? Oh well. I have at least one faithful reviewer so there. I must take the time to thank my ever faithful reviewer who continues to encourage me to write this. Thank you ever so much, Anthony 1. I always look forward to your reviews. Hopefully some other readers will follow his example. Enough ranting, on with the fic! Flames with be escorted out of the building by Lillymon. She may look like a pushover, but it's your funeral if you decide to cross her. You have been warned.  
  
Hikari: Sakura Cherry Blossom 1 does not own Digimon, for reasons that are pretty obvious.  
  
Chapter 6: Danger  
  
Dramatis Persona (list of characters)  
  
Taylor Kamiya (12): Leader of the new Digidestined. The group is on the verge of a battle with the forces of an Evil Digimon and it is up to him, like his father before, to lead them into victory. Along with his younger sister, Kristy, he found his long lost cousins K.T. and A.J. Takashi.  
  
Kristy Kamiya (10): As a member of the new Digidestined, she is ready to fight to save this world. She is encouraged by the discovery of her long lost cousins and looks forward to fighting along side K.T.  
  
Mark Ishida (12): As a member of the new Digidestined, he is ready to take up the task of defending this world, just as his parents did before him. He has already had a small glimpse of the Digimon he will face in the coming battles.  
  
Lilly Ishida (10): Like her brother, she is ready to face the upcoming battles. With the appearance of new evil Digimon, she has seen what awaits her and the rest of her team. She is confident that they can overcome it.  
  
Kevin Ichijouji (11): As a member of the new Digidestined, he stands poised at the forefront of what could become the next great battle for Earth. Like his parents before him, he is ready to face this new evil head on.  
  
Kelly Ichijouji (10): Like her brother, she is ready to fight and confident that together as a team they can defeat this new evil.  
  
Sam Ichijouji (8): He is proud to be included in this group of new Digidestined. Though he is young, he shares the same optimism as the others on the team.  
  
Jake Kido (10): Like the other members on this team, he is ready to face this battle. He has taken to heart all that his father has taught him and it is now time to put that into practice.  
  
Sakura Izumi (11): Following in her fathers footsteps, she is determined to help the team in anyway she can. With her knowledge and confidence, she has become a valuable asset.  
  
K.T. Takashi (10): After being re-united with her relatives (on her mothers side), she is ready to help the rest of her new friends in fighting this evil. She has her mothers strength and her fathers determination to guide her.  
  
Alan Takashi (5): He is too young to fight along side the others. He will join them when he is old enough. Until then, he is staying with the Kamiyas.  
  
Casey Hida (11): Though her training in martial arts is very different from this, it has helped her to prepare for such a fight. She knows that with her team united, they can do anything.

&&&

Darkness grew over the city of Tokyo. It seemed to be feeding on the light, devouring every last inch of it.  
  
"I don't like the looks of this," Jake stated as he watched the dark cloud with the other Digidestined.  
  
"I have to agree with you Jake. This isn't a good sign," Casey added.  
  
"According to my data, it's linked to some sort of dark portal. Apparently evil Digimon have discovered a way to travel to our world," Sakura informed.  
  
"The next question is, what do we do about it?" Mark questioned.  
  
&&&  
  
"Come on you two. Get the lead out!" Kelly said as she ran with her brothers. They'd received an email from Sakura informing them that they needed to help get rid of some new evil.  
  
"We're moving as fast as we can sis!" Sam yelled back.  
  
Suddenly, a huge figure appeared in front of them. They stopped dead in their tracks as the figure began to take shape.  
  
"What is that thing?" Kelly asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure the three of us are no match for it," Kevin stated. "The worst part is, it's blocking our signal so I can't get an email to the others. Sam, go through the alleys and find a way to the others. We're going to need their help."  
  
Sam nodded to his older brother before bolting from the scene.  
  
"The good news is, we can still contact our Digimon. They're on the way," Kelly informed. As soon as the words left her mouth, two Digimon were seen flying towards the new Digimon threat.  
  
&&&  
  
"I'd like to know where the Kamiya's and the Ichijouji's get off thinking they can just leave us hanging here. It's been almost an hour and they haven't shown," Lilly retorted.  
  
"You sound like mom," Mark said under his breath.  
  
"I heard that!" Lilly shot back.  
  
Just then, Taylor and Kristy came running up with K.T. on their heels.  
  
"About time you two showed up," Lilly said, annoyed.  
  
"Sorry," Taylor apologized. "We had to help a new Digidestined first."  
  
All eyes turned toward Taylor and his sister. Sakura had informed them, almost a year ago, that a new Digidestined would be joining them soon. Even Sakura looked up from her computer to see the new Digidestined.  
  
"Guys, I'd like you to meet K.T. Takashi," Kristy introduced. "K.T., this is Sakura Izumi, Izzy's daughter. Next to her is Casey Hida, Cody's daughter. Beside her is Jake Kido, Joe's son. Next is Mark and Lilly Ishida, Matt and Mimi's children, who also happen to be your second set of cousins."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," K.T. said.  
  
"Where are the Ichijouji's?" Taylor asked.  
  
Before anyone could answer, Sam came running up completely winded.  
  
"Kevin...Kelly...need...help...new...Digimon...must...come...quickly," Sam explained, out of breath.  
  
"Right behind you," Sakura said, closing her laptop.  
  
The Digidestined followed Sam back to where he'd left his brother and sister. They arrived in time to see Kevin and Kelly's Digimon, Stingmon and Aquillamon, revert back to their in-training forms.  
  
"That thing sure doesn't look happy to see us," Jake stated.  
  
"Of course not. That's a Sentrymon. They are sent to guard things of importance. Its main goal is to keep intruders away," K.T. said.  
  
The others looked at her, shocked that she knew so much. K.T. just shrugged.  
  
"It's a lot stronger than our Digimon," Kevin stated. "It's at lest an Ultimate level Digimon. More than likely, it's a Mega-Ultimate."  
  
"Well that puts a damper on things," Casey commented.  
  
"Good news guys. Gennai's found a way for our Digimon to digivolve to Mega-Ultimate," Sakura informed.  
  
"Great. How do we do that?" Taylor asked.  
  
"Simple. We hold out our Digivices and concentrate on our crests. Then we say, Crest Armor Energize," Sakura replied.  
  
"One slight problem," Kelly stated. "None of us knows what the heck our crests are. Furthermore, one of us doesn't even have a Digimon yet."  
  
Sakura sighed. "You're absolutely right, Kelly. However, we have a big problem to deal with. If we can't get rid of Sentrymon, more and more evil Digimon will keep pouring into Japan. We have more than a slight problem. We have a huge problem."  
  
"I know what my crest is," K.T. informed. "Does that help any?"  
  
Everyone turned to look at the blonde. "How do you know what your crest is?" Sakura questioned.  
  
"Well, my moma gave me this necklace when I was real little," K.T. began. She pulled the necklace out of her shirt to reveal two pendants, shaped like crests. "Moma said something about there being a crest keeper, but I just thought it meant I was supposed to keep my brothers crest safe. My crest is the crest of Faith and my brothers is the crest of Joy."  
  
"Well I'll be. What else did your mom tell you about the crests?" Sakura prodded.  
  
"Not much really. My Dad and uncle Tai and aunt Sora put a ton of stuff into this portable computer, but I can't access it all. A lot of it says that it can only be opened by a computer genius like Izzy. I'm not sure who that is, but my dad must have known him real well," K.T. replied.  
  
"Hey guys. While you were talking, something weird happened," Lilly stated.  
  
"What?" Taylor asked.  
  
"Sentrymon disappeared along with the Digital Gate," Lilly replied.  
  
"Well, since he's no longer a threat, I think we should pay Izzy a visit," Mark suggested.  
  
"You guys know this Izzy?" K.T. asked.  
  
"Yeah. He's my dad," Sakura stated.

&&&

"So sweetie, which one would you like better?" A guy with auburn hair asked the brunette woman standing next to him. They were browsing through one of the street vendor carts.  
  
"Well, if I had to choose, I would go with the..." The woman stopped as the guy she was with was run into.  
  
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The guy said getting up.  
  
"I'm very sorry mister. I didn't see you," A girl with blonde hair and blue eyes apologized.  
  
"Come on Katie!" Kristy yelled, saying K.T.'s name really fast.  
  
As the kids ran off, the brunette woman stared after them. Her ruby red eyes following the blonde.  
  
"Hey, sweetie, are you O.K.?" The guy with auburn hair asked. The brunette nodded before turning back to him.

&&&

"Hey, K.T., did you see the weird look that brunette woman gave you?" Kristy asked once they'd caught up with the others.  
  
"Yeah. It was almost as if she recognized me from somewhere. Oddly enough, she looked familiar too," K.T. replied.  
  
"I didn't like the way her ruby eyes looked."  
  
"I know. They seemed cold and lifeless. Kinda like she was being controlled or something. It was just plain creepy."  
  
"Totally," Kristy agreed.

&&&

"Hey dad, I'm back. I brought some friends over," Sakura informed as the Digidestined kids entered the Izumi household.  
  
"The more the merrier," Izzy greeted. "Did you need to talk to me about something or was our house on the rotation for the get-together, this time?"  
  
"Actually, if you've got a few minutes, we do need your help with something," Sakura said.  
  
"I'm just finishing up a program on the computer. Make yourselves comfortable and I'll be right there. I think there's some food for a snack, if you guys want."  
  
"K. dad." Sakura began riffling through the cupboards and eventually found some chips.  
  
"Hey Sakura, where's your mom?" K.T. asked, examining the quaint house. It wasn't emaculate, but it was somewhat neat and tidy. The decorations gave it a homey feel. They had gathered in the living room as Sakura re-joined them.  
  
A couple of kids, next to K.T., inhaled at her question almost as if she had opened a fresh wound. "It's O.K.," Sakura said, in response to their actions. "Since K.T.'s new, she doesn't know everything about us." Sakura paused before turning towards K.T. "When I was five, my mom and dad discovered that they couldn't stand each other anymore. My dad was a workaholic, at the time, and spent most of his free time on the computer. He's a computer programmer. It makes great money, but doesn't allow much interaction with other people. My mother was raised in a close-knit family where everyone spent a lot of time together. She hated the fact that my dad would 'lock' himself in the computer room for hours on end. My mom tried to live with it, but it eventually got to her. Ten days after I turned five, my parents got divorced.  
  
"I started to blame myself, at first, but dad explained to me that it wasn't my fault. After the divorce, my dad made sure that he spent as much time with me as he could. He loved teaching me about computers and I loved to learn. That's why I'm a genius." Sakura winked. "I still see my mom, every other weekend, and we do lots of things together. I don't miss her as much as I used to. In some ways, I don't see my parents as being divorced. I see them as two people who live in different houses, have different lives, and love me very much." Sakura smiled, then noticed what looked like tears in K.T.'s eyes. Before she could say anything, her dad entered the room.  
  
"So, what do you need to discuss?" Izzy asked as he took a seat next to his daughter.  
  
"First of all, Taylor and Kristy discovered a new Digidestined. Her name is K.T. and it seems she has some information that is valuable to us, but completely inaccessible," Sakura explained.  
  
K.T. pulled out her portable computer. "I was given this when I was little and have been able to access it off and on. It seems that someone had been messing with my memories, to keep me from getting the information I needed. Recently, I recalled how to access the information on here. I've scanned through the massive amounts of information, only to discover that a lot of it is locked away. Every time I try to access these files, a message pops up that says: 'Can only be dechipered by Izzy'. I had one pop up once and the entire screen was filled with the word, Prodigious. It froze the computer so, I had to reboot. I hope you can help us," K.T. said. She handed the computer to Izzy.  
  
Izzy seemed to be deep in thought as he scanned K.T.'s portable computer. The children tried to wait patiently, but it was evident, after 20 min., they were getting bored.  
  
"Prodigious!" Izzy said which caused K.T. to look up in recognition of the word.  
  
"What did you find dad?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Whoever created these files knew what they were doing," Izzy began. "This is so encrypted and complex that _I_ almost can't dechiper it all. However, I am intrigued. There are things in here that even I wasn't aware of. Whoever your parents were, K.T., they were very special."  
  
"I know," K.T. replied. She swallowed a lump in her throat and stared at the floor. Kristy noticed this and placed a hand on the blondes shoulder.  
  
"What kind of things did you find dad?" Sakura prodded.  
  
"Well, it seems that each of you have a special job that was determined based on your abilities. From what I can see, it looks like Gennai knew of a danger lurking in the not so distant future. Due to this he made several safe guards. Your crests are known only to one person. The Crest Keeper. Apparently, even the Crest Keeper doesn't yet know what each individuals crests are. The jobs you were given, tie in based on your individual personalities. I'm still de-crypting some things so, bear with me," Izzy replied. The room was silent for a few minutes as Izzy worked. "Now this is weird. It seems that the Digimon coming to our world, can be traced back to one single event. The disappearance of a Digidestined. That's not important. Although, this person does do something later, that results in us having two months of darkness."  
  
"The months of December and February," K.T. supplied. She noticed the shocked looks. "The month of December is when my moms birthday is and in February is approximately the anniversary of when my mom and dad first started dating."  
  
"Weird," Izzy muttered in response to K.T.'s assessment. "There are other facts, in here, that aren't relevant right now. Ah, here we are. I found what I was looking for. The list of Jobs. Taylor, you are the designated leader as was your father before you. Kristy, you are the mediator. Mark, you are the strategist. Lilly, you are in charge of the Digimon's well being. Jake, you are in charge of medical. Casey, you handle weapons. Kevin, you are in charge of species recognition. Sakura, you are the technical advisor. Kelly, you handle languages. Sam, you are the Crest Keeper. K.T., it says here that you are the Trump Card. I'm not sure what that means, but I'm sure you'll find out in due time. There is a message here that states: 'All of the Digidestineds assigned jobs will come easily to them in the coming battles. One of you has immediate and untrained knowledge that even she doesn't realize until it is spoken. Each of you will discover your own destinies and purposes in the battles ahead. This war was started carelessly. It must be fought in a thoughtful manner. Though darkness may be strong, light is stronger'. It goes on to list each individuals strengths and weaknesses, Digimon, digivolutions, and special abilities. Well, it lists everyone present except K.T. Either they wanted to keep her stats a secret or they didn't know about her."  
  
"So, basically we have these jobs, that we will know how to do when the time is right. We have an evil we can defeat, if we put our minds to it. Yet, we have to be left in the dark so we can be surprised when we learn all this stuff," Kelly summed up in lamens terms.  
  
"That sounds about right," Izzy agreed. "K.T., may I ask you what your last name is?"  
  
K.T. looked at Izzy. "Takashi. My full name is Katie Trinity Takashi."  
  
Izzy inhaled sharply at the mention of her last name. "Have you been reunited with your relatives?"  
  
"Only my Aunt Sora and Uncle Tai. I haven't seen the Ishida's yet," K.T. replied.  
  
"What about your little brother?"  
  
"A.J.'s with Aunt Sora An Uncle Tai," K.T. stated. "His full name is Alan Jason Takashi. We abbreviated our names so as not to be recognized easily. I'm not exactly sure why. I just had this feeling that we shouldn't go by our real names."  
  
"Would you mind if we called you Katie?" Lilly asked.  
  
"I think for now, with all the Digital World business, it's better if we keep it K.T.," K.T. replied.  
  
"I agree," Izzy stated. "There's no telling who knew you when you were little and you want to draw as little attention as possible. Now then, it's getting late and I don't want your parents to worry. K.T., may I borrow this computer? There's a lot of information I'd like to go through."  
  
"That's fine. Just let me know when you are done with it," K.T. said before leaving with Taylor and Kristy.

&&&

"Hey Casey, would you mind if I walked you home?" Jake asked.  
  
"Not at all," Casey replied.  
  
The walk back to Casey's home was silent. Jake noticed that Casey was unusually quiet. What surprised him was the sad expression on her face.  
  
"Casey, are you all right?" Jake questioned.  
  
"Thanks for your concern Jake, but I'm fine," Casey assured.  
  
The two walked in silence for a while longer. "Are you sure?" Jake prodded. As much as he hated to pry, he knew something was really bugging her.  
  
Casey looked up into Jake's blue-gray eyes and saw genuine concern there. She sighed. "I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore. My moms dying of cancer. Dad says there's still hope, but I figure I might as well prepare myself for the worst so I'm not surprised."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Jake sympathized as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "My mom died of cancer to."  
  
"Really?" Casey asked.  
  
"Yeah. It was a long time ago and I don't think about it much."  
  
The two continued their conversation all the way to Casey's home. 

&&&

"Mom, dad, were home," Taylor announced as he entered the Kamiya residence. Kristy and K.T. followed him inside. The three removed their shoes and entered the living room where Tai and Sora were sitting.  
  
"Where's A.J.?" K.T. asked as she scanned the room.  
  
"We put him to sleep and hour ago," Sora replied. "I hope you don't mind that we put him in your room Taylor. We figured with the two girls being together that it would get a little crowded with three in there."  
  
"That's all right mom," Taylor assured.  
  
"Now then, why don't you three have a seat. I think it's time we heard the whole story of what happened to you, K.T.," Tai stated.  
  
K.T. looked around the room. She sighed. "I suppose there is no sense in dragging it out, but you will have to forgive me if I start to get emotional. This is the first time I've ever really gone back and re-lived the events that led to me being here." She paused before continuing. "A little over five years ago, my mom started acting weird. I didn't realize it at the time. I knew something was wrong when mom didn't want to spend time with me, but I didn't think much of it. I really started to realize something was out of place when my dad got uncle Tai involved. One day, dad and uncle Tai went out together on a mission or whatever and wouldn't tell me what it was. I asked aunt Sora, after they left, and she just kinda dodged the subject. I shrugged it off as no big deal and when to play with Taylor, Kristy, and A.J. Later that night, dad and uncle Tai came home and dad looked like he'd been told he was gonna die or something. Aunt Sora made us all go in my room and play while she talked with dad and uncle Tai. A little while later, she came in to get Taylor and Kristy 'cause they had to go home. A few minutes after that, dad came in to say goodnight and read me a bedtime story. I woke up, late that night, to raised voices. It took me awhile to realize they were mom and dad's voices. They were fighting. I got scared because they had never fought before.  
  
"Two days later, uncle Tai and aunt Sora came over to discuss some things with dad. After they were done, they asked me to join them so they could talk to me about something important. They then began to teach me all the things I would need to know in an emergency. Looking back on it, I'm pretty sure they knew what would happen next. I remember it was a beautiful day and I had begged dad to take me to the park. He kept putting it off and I couldn't figure out why. I was about to ask again, when someone knocked on the door. Dad answered it and from the sound of the voice, I knew it was a man I'd never met. I was playing in my room, with A.J., when dad told us to come out. He said there was someone we should meet.  
  
"I took a good, long look at the man dad was introducing me to. He seemed real nice, but his eyes told me it was all an act. I knew he wanted something from dad, but I didn't know what so I played along. After he said hi to me and A.J., he stood up and talked to dad some more. I saw dad motion for me and A.J. to move closer to the open door. I hosted A.J. on my back, then slung the bag over my shoulder. I didn't like the look I saw in my dad's eyes. I had managed to make it to the door, without the stranger seeing me. I took one more look at my dad and saw him mouth the word _Run_. I didn't hesitate. We lived on the fourth floor so, we had to go down a couple flights of stairs. I ran as quickly as I could.  
  
"When we reached the ground floor landing, I heard the last and worst thing I ever wanted to hear. A gunshot. My mind and heart raced. The survivor in me commanded my feet to run and I let them take me wherever. I knew I couldn't stay where I was. There was no telling what that man would do to me if I stayed. I started crying immediately. I knew what had happened. I didn't want to believe it at all. I soon realized that I didn't have a clue as to where I was. That's when I stopped running. I soon realized that I was in a run down part of Tokyo. I knew that there was nothing I could do at that moment so, I found a deserted alley and we spent the night.  
  
"I would spend the next five years on the street. I learned very quickly how to beg. I even sang for my supper, a couple of times. Fortunately, aunt Sora, uncle Tai, and dad had taken the time to make sure we had some of the essentials. We always had clothes and warm blankets. Our food supply ran out quickly, though. I did find the mini computer they left me, but I couldn't always remember what it was or what it was used for. It did help me go to the Digital World, once. I met Gatomon there. She told me that it wasn't the right time for me to join the Digidestined and such. We lived on the streets for a few more months before we had to leave our current living place. While looking for a new place to live, A.J. and I got lost and almost got beaten up. I took off running and we soon wound up in the middle of downtown Tokyo. We saw a lemonade vendor and A.J. wanted to try some, but the guy refused to give any away for free. Ru spotted us and asked if I knew how to make lemonade. I said yes and she offered me a job in her café. I even got to share the upstairs apartment. You guys know the rest."  
  
"Thanks for telling us this, K.T.," Tai said. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. We did have an idea what was going on, but we had to play it safe so as not to look suspicious. We had intended to locate you a lot sooner than we did, but you pulled a very good disappearing act. The good thing is your here now and you and A.J. won't have to live on the streets anymore."  
  
"Thanks," K.T. stated.  
  
"I think It's time for bed," Sora announced.  
  
"K mom," Taylor and Kristy chorused.  
  
After the three of them had gone to bed, Tai and Sora began discussing the events K.T. had described.  
  
"When do you think we should tell her the whole truth?" Sora asked. "After all she has a right to know what happened."  
  
"Now is not the right time. She has to get back into society again and there are Digital World problems that need to be dealt with. I think we should wait, at least until these problems have been dealt with. We need to make sure she is emotionally capable of handling the truth," Tai replied.  
  
"You're right Tai. I just hope she's not mad at us."  
  
"Don't worry, Sora. If she's anything like her parents, she'll understand."

&&&

Authors Note: I hope you liked it. Please press the wonderful button down in the left hand corner and review. Please. I'll try and type up the next chapter as soon as I can . Although, I am discovering that I ignored some important things when I wrote this so, it may be a while 'till I get it fixed. 


	8. Digidestined Strike Back

Authors Note: I want to thank everyone who waited SO patiently for this chapter. I got slammed with a bunch of hours at work and they happened to come at times which made it inconvenient for me to type this up. I also want to thank my reviewers. I got a new one. Yay! Angewomonandme, I'm glad you consider this the best fic you have ever read. You have no clue how happy that made me, especially after I thought almost everyone had given up on this story. I also want to thank Augumon2004, I'm glad that you like this story and I hope I don't disappoint. As always, thanks to my loyal reviewer Anthony1. I can always count on you to give me positive feedback and ask some really good questions. In response to your last question, I can only say wait and see. All shall be revealed in due time. Thanks again to my reviewers. If you would like to review, there's a little button at the end of the story that will allow you to do that. Any one who reviews will get a special thank you here. All my reviewers are important to me. However, flames will not be tolerated. Enjoy!

&&&

Chapter 7: Digidestined Strike Back  
  
Dramatise Persona (List of Characters)  
  
Taylor Kamiya: His job is leader of the group. His Digimon is Augumon.  
  
Kristy Kamiya: Her job is Mediator. Her Digimon is Biyomon.  
  
Mark Ishida: His job is the Stratagist. His Digimon is Garurumon.  
  
Lilly Ishida: Her job is monitoring the digimon's well being. Her Digimon is Palmon.  
  
Kevin Ichijouji: His job is species recognition. His Digimon is Wormmon.  
  
Kelly Ichijouji: Her job is recognizing languages. Her Digimon is Hawkmon.  
  
Sam Ichijouji: His job is as crest keeper. His Digimon is Black Wormmon.  
  
Jake Kido: His job is medical. His Digimon is Gomamon.  
  
Sakura Izumi: Her job is as the technical advisor. Her Digimon is Tentomon.  
  
K.T. Takashi: She is the trump card.  
  
Casey Hida: Her job is weapons. Her Digimon is Armodillomon.

&&&

It was 10 A.M., on a Saturday morning. All the younger Digidestined, except for A.J., were gathered at the Izumi household. Izzy had finished analyzing the data on K.T.'s mini computer and had called a meeting to discuss his findings. As he droned on, for what seemed like hours, about what things were in the computer, his theories, etc., it soon became evident that he had lost most of his audience. He was about to remedy that when a loud explosion was heard. It shook the house and everyone was alert and on their feet.  
  
"That came from the main district in Tokyo," Izzy stated looking at the map on the mini computer.  
  
"All right then, there's no time to waste. We have to get to Tokyo fast," Taylor announced, taking the lead.  
  
"Agreed," Sakura said. She took the computer from her dad and gave it back to K.T.  
  
Everyone ran out of the house and made a beeline for the disturbance.  
  
"Ah, Digidestined at 12 'O clock. Good. Right on schedule. All right everyone. Do it just like we planned. Make it look easy and make them think they are winning. Then, when their confidence it at the max, we destroy them."  
  
"You got it boss," An unusual collection of Digimon chorused.  
  
& & &  
  
"This is where the explosions occurred," Sakura explained. "I'm uploading our Digimon as we speak.  
  
In minutes their Digimon appeared. Most of them looked like varied versions of their parents Digimon. Taylor had Augumon. Kristy had Biyomon. Mark had Gabumon. Lilly had Palmon. Kevin had Wormmon. Kelly had Hawkmon. Sam had Black Wormmon which looked very similar to Wormmon except that he was all black and had dark purple markings. Jake had Gomamon. Sakura had Tentomon. Casey had Armadillomon. The only one who didn't have a Digimon was K.T. Mark was forming a strategy when a Sentrymon appeared next to a dark portal. The Digimon leapt into action, digivolving to Champion then their Ultimate forms. (Black Wormmon digivolved to Scorpionmon which looks like a cross between Stingmon and a red scorpion.) As the battle intensified, K.T.'s eyes remained transfixed on the dark portal. It was almost as if she could see something the others couldn't. Sam was standing next to her and noticed her gaze. He stared at the portal for a few minutes before his eyes grew wide.  
  
"Guys! It's a trap!" Sam yelled.  
  
No sooner had the words left his mouth when all the dark, evil Digimon descended on the Digidestined's digimon. No one noticed K.T. slowly moving backwards as if she was terrified. Soon all the Digimon were reduced to their in-training forms. The Digidestined had a few cuts and bruises from stray attacks. K.T. felt a wall press into her back and she stopped backing up. The crowd of evil Digimon parted to allow a much more sinister Digimon to pass.  
  
The Digimon was tall and completely black except for two red eyes. He looked like a shapeless mass that made you tremble in fright. His body rippled until he took the form of what could only be described as demon like.  
  
"That's Devorimon. It means death bringer," Kevin stated, bearly above a whisper.  
  
"You are correct, Digidestined scum," The Digmon known as Devorimon smirked. "Although you have managed to gain some insight into some of your abilities, you are not close enough yet. That's why it will be so easy to break you. You see how the sun fades in my presence? That's how I will rule this world. Once I have completely destroyed the light, there will be no one to stop me. Now then, my minions. Let's teach these Digidestined a lesson they won't soon forget."  
  
As Devorimon disappeared into the growing darkness, his Digimon servants unleashed their attacks on the Digidestined. K.T. watched in horror as her new friends were laid out on the ground, broken and bleeding. Silent tears streamed down her face. She wanted to give up and run away. She wanted to go back to Ru and pretend non of this happened. That's when an image flashed in her mind. She was five and she was holding her little brother as she watched her fathers face. She couldn't read any hint of fear, anger, or remorse. He knew what was coming. He knew an old friend would pull out a gun and shoot him. Yet, he wouldn't give the other person the satisfaction of seeing his fear. With a courage K.T. had never known, he told her to run knowing full well it would be the last time he saw her again.  
  
Remembering that moment gave K.T. a courage she never would have thought she possessed. She looked up at the sky and with a strong voice said, "I have Faith that no matter what evil shall befall us, we are strong enough to face it and destroy it once and for all."  
  
As the last words left her mouth, the darkness parted and a light shone on the Digidestined. As if by magic, their wounds began to heal. They all stood up and gathered their Digimon as K.T. re-joined them.  
  
"I say we fall back and re-group. Now that we know what we are up against we can be better prepared next time," Mark suggested.  
  
"I agree. Let's head to my place and we can talk more about this there," Taylor agreed.  
  
On the walk back to the Kamiya's, K.T. was walking next to Kristy when they passed some shops. K.T. was absentmindedly looking in the windows when she noticed someone who looked familiar. Kristy followed her gaze. "Isn't that the same brunette woman we saw a few days ago?" Kristy asked K.T.  
  
"Yeah. The same one who gave me the weird look like she recognized me. It's weird 'cause she kinds looks like my mother, but my mom went away a long time ago. If she's alive she probably doesn't live around here anymore. The guy with her looks very familiar, though. Almost like I knew him a long time ago."  
  
The man with the auburn hair, who was with the brunette, turned towards K.T. as if he sensed her staring. K.T.'s eyes widened in recognition and horror. She was rooted to the spot as she stared at him.  
  
"We're falling way behind. Let's go," Kristy said as she grabbed K.T.'s arm and started dragging her along.  
  
When they had gotten a block away from where the man and woman were, K.T. finally came back to her senses.  
  
"Are you O.K.?" Kristy asked her cousin.  
  
"I'm not sure. I never would have thought that after all these years I'd still recognize that face. Then again, I knew after that day it would be very hard to forget his face," K.T. replied.  
  
"Who is that man?" Kristy inquired.  
  
"He's the man that killed my father."  
  
Kristy gasped. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. The look in his eyes is something I'll never forget."  
  
After about five more minutes, they all reached the Kamiya residence. For several hours, they discussed strategies of how to fight this new evil. All the while, K.T. was pondering what had happened on the way home. She knew that she had to forgive the man that killed her father, that it was the right thing to do, but she couldn't. Something else was bothering her, though. Why hadn't she been given a Digimon? She had a Digivice and knew she was a Digidestined so, why not give her a digimon? Further more, why was she called a Trump Card? If she didn't have a digimon and cowered in fear every time darkness approached, why would she be in a position to help her friends out of a tight spot? These and many other thoughts were running through her head so fast she didn't hear when Kelly called her name.  
  
"K.T.! Hello, earth to K.T.," Kelly called.  
  
"Huh?" K.T. said snapping out of her thoughts.  
  
"We asked if you knew anything about these evil digimon," Kelly stated.  
  
"Not really. Why do you ask?" K.T. responded.  
  
"Well, you seemed to have some sort of knowledge about this stuff and the evil digimon seem to target you," Kristy explained.  
  
"Guys, I'm getting a transmission from Gennai," Sakura announced.  
  
"I'm glad to see you're all here," Gennai started. He was being projected from Sakura's laptop. "It's good to see you again, K.T." All eyes quickly turned towards the blonde. "You may not remember me. We met when you came to the Digital World and found Gatomon. However, that was not the first time we met. I don't expect you to remember our first meeting because you were only four years old. I remember telling your parents some very important stuff about the future. They wanted me to tell you what you know now. I knew that just wouldn't be right. After all, you may have turned out differently.  
  
"Anyway, the real reason for my visit is to fill you in on some important things you'll need to know in the upcoming battles. Be prepared to take a beating. Jake, you will have your work cut out for you. You may have to loose a few battles before you win the war. When you think it's hopeless don't loose hope. I've already set in place ways for you to overcome this darkness. Your crests will be revealed in due time. K.T., your digimon is linked to your job. Don't get discouraged that you are the only one without a digimon. When it is needed most, your digimon will appear. Sakura, you will find some files that I have downloaded into your computer. They will help you battle the evil digimon." With that, Gennai disappeared.  
  
"Is it just me, or does that guy keep getting weirder?" Taylor asked.  
  
"It's not just you," Sakura replied scanning the files Gennai left. "There is a ton of information in here. The guy may not know how to hold a decent conversation, but he knows what he is talking about."  
  
"Guys. I don't like the looks of that sky," Lilly stated, looking out the window.  
  
"I agree," Mark said, joining his sister.  
  
A black cloud was descending on the city. Lightning flickered ominously in the clouds.  
  
"Digidestined prepare for the age of darkness." All eyes turned toward Kelly. Her dark ruby eyes had turned black and it was obvious someone else was in control. "The light will die. Darkness will survive. Anyone who thinks they can stand up for the light will die. You pathetic Digidestined are no match for me! I will enjoy killing you slowly. Enjoy this little preview." Suddenly, Kelly fell to the ground and started convulsing. She was gasping for air as her brothers rushed to her side.  
  
"Show your face you coward!" Taylor yelled. "How dare you treat life as though it were meaningless. Be warned. We will find a way to stop you!" A yellow glow surrounded him and his Digivice began to glow.  
  
"Your crest is the crest of Determination," Sam said looking up at Taylor.  
  
Kelly stopped convulsing and, with Kevins help, slowly stood up. "Two down. 10 more to go," Kelly stated.  
  
Taylor felt something around his neck and discovered his crest on a chain, much like K.T.'s "This still doesn't get rid of that cloud," Taylor sighed.  
  
"No. However, it's a good place to start," Sakura replied.  
  
Just then the phone rang.  
  
"Hello, Kamiya residents. Mom...what! Where? O.K., we'll be right there," Kristy answered. "That was mom. Something bad happened at the T.V. station in Tokyo. Mom says they can't find Mrs. Ishida and they need our help."  
  
Mark and Lilly exchanged looks. "If moms in trouble, then there's no time to waste," Mark stated.  
  
"I agree," Taylor replied. "Let's go."  
  
Everyone left the Kamiya's and headed towards the T.V. station in downtown Tokyo. The closer they got, the thicker the darkness became. Once they reached the station, Lilly noticed that K.T. had stooped moving. She told the others to go ahead while she talked with K.T.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lilly asked the blonde.  
  
"It's too dark," K.T. said, barely above a whisper.  
  
"Let me get this straight. You lived on the streets, all alone, for five years, and you're afraid of a little darkness," Lilly clarified.  
  
"You don't understand. Living on the streets was nothing. It was surviving. My survival instincts kicked in and that's why I'm still here. I've never been in darkness like this before. My mom made sure of that. What's more, the last time I felt, what I feel emanating from this building, I lost my parents. My mom ran away, making me feel like she hated me, and my dad was killed. All I see darkness as, is another tragedy in my life. Is the darkness going to get me or maybe take away my new friends? I don't know and I'm not sure I want to know," K.T. explained to the auburn hared girl.  
  
"Listen K.T. All of us have some things that keep us from moving forward. The trick is not to let it win. You need to prove to yourself and the darkness, that you don't need a physical source of light to beat it. Due to what your mom taught you, you will always have a light in your heart. No one, but you, can extinguish that light. If you trust in yourself and the rest of our team, than there isn't a thing you can't do."  
  
"Thanks Lilly."  
  
"You're welcome. Trust me. It's worth it in the end," Lilly stated. She began to glow green and just like Taylor, a necklace with her crest on it appeared around her neck.  
  
"We can cross one more crest off our list," K.T. stated.  
  
The two ran inside and discovered that most of the building was trashed. They slowly picked their way through the ruble in what they thought was the direction the others went. The emergency lights flickered here and there as they went. They moved aside a large piece of ruble when K.T. motioned for Lilly to be quiet.  
  
"That sounds like Mark," Lilly said. "Come on."  
  
The girls continued to make their way through the debris. They rounded a corner and found the others. They were gathered at the far wall where Tai and Matt were trying to move some large pieces of debris out of the way. Sora noticed Lilly and K.T. join the group.  
  
"I'm glad you girls found us. I'd hate to think you might have gotten lost. We think Mimi is trapped behind the rubble Matt and Tai are trying to move. She stooped calling to us about fifteen minutes ago. This is approximately where we last heard her," Sora explained.  
  
There was silence as Tai and Matt worked. Lilly noticed K.T. moving around the area. She'd sniff the air, then move to another spot. "Aunt Sora, did aunt Mimi just finish a cooking show when the building collapsed?" K.T. asked.  
  
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Sora replied.  
  
"Because I can faintly smell nutmeg..."  
  
"...and oregano," Lilly finished.  
  
Lilly ran towards the stairwell, with K.T. on her heels. Both Matt and Tai stopped working and watched the two dash towards the still intact stairwell. Mark quickly followed.  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"Aunt Mimi!"  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"You guys, be quiet," Mark said as the three searched the second floor landing.  
  
A faint coughing could be heard. The three moved around, trying to pinpoint the location of the cough. Every five seconds someone would cough. They assumed it was Mimi because the smells from her cooking show were assaulting their noses.  
  
"Any luck?" Kevin asked as the others joined them.  
  
"Not yet," Lilly replied. "However, there is a faint coughing we are trying to pinpoint."  
  
The others spread out to help find the source of the coughing. They were loosing precious time and everyone knew that. Suddenly, Casey told everyone to stop.  
  
"What is it?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I've been trying to find some sort of pattern to help locate the sound. I've discovered it's an echo. It's reverberating off the walls in our direction. If I'm right, Mrs. Ishida is on the _other_ side of that wall," Casey explained, pointing to the wall that faced the stairway.  
  
"This stairway doesn't lead us there. There must be one on the other side of the building," Sakura stated.  
  
Everyone took off down the stairs except K.T. She was staring at the wall Casey had indicated. Sora noticed this and stayed behind with her niece.  
  
"What do you see?" Sora asked K.T.  
  
"It's not what I can see. It's what I feel," K.T. explained. "There's an evil digimon in that room. It's black as night and I'm sure aunt Mimi is scared. Something doesn't want us to reach her in time. They want us to suffer more tragedies. The more separation or death we experience, the more they win."  
  
"Are you saying what I think you are saying?" Sora asked.  
  
"By the time they find a stairway and reach this room, Mimi will be dead. It's up to me to face my fear of the darkness and do what has to be done."  
  
Sora nodded. K.T. found a large piece of a sturdy object, she could lift, and began banging on the wall like one would with a sledge hammer. Sora followed suit and they discovered the wall wasn't that hard to break through. Perhaps the wall had already been weakened. It only took a couple of seconds to create a good sized hole. At first K.T. recoiled from the darkness the room gave off, but she quickly swallowed her fear and stepped inside. Sora followed her in. K.T. looked to her left and saw a pair of red eyes. She gasped and stepped back, her fear griping her heart. The creature snarled at her. K.T. swallowed and remembered what Lilly had told her earlier. She face the creature with all the determination she could muster.  
  
"I come bearing a light that cannot die. You are not welcome here! With the strength of the light and with the power of faith, I order you to leave this world and never come back here again!" K.T. told the creature.  
  
A white light surrounded her. The creature shrieked before vanishing. The light around K.T. was replaced with a faint glow from the emergency lights in the room. Sora rushed to Mimi's side. Part of the ceiling and a nearby wall had collapsed, partially burying Mimi. Sora and K.T. worked to free her from the rubble as the others arrived. Everything was explained and Sam announced that Lilly had the crest of Trust. Casey began to glow a silvery gray color and a crest appeared on a chain around her neck. Sam identified her crest as the crest of Direction.  
  
After the ordeal was over and Mimi had been taken to a hospital to get checked out, K.T. was properly introduced to her Aunt and Uncle on her fathers side. Though they enjoyed talking about the past, they all knew that danger was still looming and it would take everything the new Digidestined had in them to stop it.  
  
&&&  
  
Darkness rolled in like a fog. The air grew cold and clammy. The atmosphere was that of a cloudy day, which could turn any normal day depressing and dreary. Two figures sat in the waiting room of a hospital. They had been there for hours. One, a young girl with shoulder length brown hair, was asleep while her father sat beside her. The girls mother was in the hospital for a reaction that had taken place during a routine check up. During chemo, it was discovered that the girls mother had a developed a cold which reacted with the medicine in such a way that she was hospitalized. The girl had tried her best to be brave, but it wasn't easy. Her father wasn't doing much better. He'd already known what it was like to lose a father at an early age. He didn't want his daughter to go through the same thing.  
  
Although this wasn't the first time cancer had plagued the Digidestined, it didn't make things easier. Joe had lost his wife to cancer and was able to lend some support to Cody. The two had always shared a strong friendship. Ever since the incident where Cody's fellow Digidestined had been trapped in an offshore oil platform. After Cody told Joe, about his wife's illness, the two had become closer friends.  
  
Cody looked over at his daughter, curled up in one of the chairs. Like any parent, he wished he could make it so she didn't have to endure any hardships. However, her knew that usually the hardships made you a stronger person. He wondered how someone like K.T. had dealt with the lose of not one but two parents. Were her survival instincts so key that she never even stopped to grieve? Or had she made time to allow herself that much? Someday he would have to ask her about it.  
  
Like everyone else, the news of T.K.'s death and Kari's disappearance shocked him. Cody had shared so much with T.K. in their struggles to DNA Digivolve. In some ways, T.K. was the first friend Cody felt he could open up to. Sure he'd made friends with Yolie first, but there were things that he felt more comfortable telling T.K. T.K. was someone who seemed to be generally interested in what you wanted to talk about and would really listen. At times it felt as if hardships had targeted Cody. Almost like they were setting him up for one disaster after another. His thoughts were interrupted as the doctor approached. The two stepped aside, so as not to wake Casey, as they talked.  
  
"Mr. Hida, your wife is recovering nicely. It seems that the combination of the cold, which was on its way to being severe, and the chemo caused the reaction. Fortunately she got here in time and was treated quickly. An interesting turn of events happened which actually makes this a blessing in disguise. A few weeks ago, we informed your family that it looked like your wife would only have three years left to live. We can't say for sure what happened. All we know is that we can find no traces of the cancer anywhere. It's not exactly professional to say this, but it appears that we have witnessed a miracle."  
  
"Thank you doctor," Cody said. His heart leapt for joy. He finally got the good news he'd been waiting for. He went over to his daughter and gently shook her awake. Once she was awake, he told her the good news. The two then went to visit Mina. Now it didn't matter what evil the Digital world had in store for Casey and her friends. Knowing her mom had survived a life threatening illness, gave her the courage to face what ever evil should cross her path.  
  
&&&  
  
"I'm glad we got a chance to get together like this. We never seem to visit as often as we used to," Sora told Mimi. The Kamiyas and the Ishidas were enjoying the day together. Even the two Takashis had fun. The children were off playing, while the adults talked.  
  
"I agree Sora," Mimi said. "After all, we are technically related. After what happened with Kari and T.K., though, it's understandable that we would distance ourselves from each other. It's how we grieve."  
  
"I can't believe how much K.T. looks like T.K. If she cut her hair short, I'd almost have to do a double take. I almost do anyway because she has so much of Kari's personality in her," Matt mused.  
  
"I know what you mean, Matt," Tai agreed. "She's so polite as well and oddly enough, she has her mothers same fear of the darkness."  
  
"A.J. is so much like T.K. He may look like Kari, but he is T.K. all the way," Sora added.  
  
"I really wonder how those two are doing. I know they say they're fine, but are they really?" Mimi pondered.  
  
"Kristy seems to think that K.T. has some deep seated anger towards the person who hurt her father," Sora replied. "According to Kristy, K.T. and she have already seen the person twice.  
  
"Weird. Why would someone who killed T.K. walk around town like he could get away with murder?" Matt wondered.  
  
"Because he already has," Tai responded. "Only one person could positively identify him and he probably figures she's dead or won't talk or doesn't even remember him."  
  
Just then Kristy, Taylor, Lilly, and Mark ran through the room the adults were in as they headed outside. K.T. was on their heels. She paused in front of the adults.  
  
"Thanks for letting us come over, uncle Matt and aunt Mimi. We had a lot of fun. However, we need to go save the world so, you'll have to excuse us. A.J.'s asleep and hopefully we'll be back before dark," K.T. explained before running after the others. The adults just looked at each other, a little shocked that K.T. thought she needed to explain their running off.  
  
"I think I'll go check on A.J.," Sora said, leaving the room.  
  
&&&  
  
The young Digidestined gathered near Tokyo tower. They had been planning and discussing strategies for days. All they wanted to do now was fight the evil digimon and get this whole thing over with. As if on cue, evil digimon started rampaging the city again. Their digimon were ready and itching to fight.  
  
"All right guys. You know the plan," Mark stated. "Everyone digivolve your digimon to ultimate. Those who know their crests, digivolve your digimon to mega ultimate."  
  
Everyone digivolved their digimon to ultimate then moved into position. K.T. stayed back, out of the way, as she watched the fight. Once in position, the battle began. Evil digimon were pouring out of the digital gate at an alarming rate. Sentrymon stood watch while his "boss" decided to sit this round out in the Digital World. The evil digimon were ordered to cause as much trouble as possible, sending Japans population into chaos. Each major city needed to be controlled by an evil digimon in order to take over Japan. It would be up to the Digidestined to take them out before they took control. To do that, they would need to close and destroy the digital gate Sentrymon was guarding.  
  
Working as a team, the Digidestined made great progress as they moved towards the Digital Gate. They were able to destroy many evil digimon along the way. Sentrymon took no notice of the Digidestined and digimon headed his way. He'd easily beaten them before and thus didn't see them as a threat. The plan was, while the Digidestined were taking out Sentrymon, Sakura would be finding a way to shut down the gate.  
  
"This is it guys," Taylor announced. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his crest of Determination, just like Sakura had told them to do a while ago. "Crest Armor Energize!" Both Taylor and War Greymon were surrounded by a yellow glow.  
  
"War Greymon digivolve to...Red Dragonmon!"  
  
A red dragon with black wings and yellow eyes stood in War Greymons place.  
  
Lilly followed suit, concentrating on her crest, Trust. "Crest Armor Energize!" A green glow surrounded both Lilly and Lillymon.  
  
"Lillymon digivolve to...Starlight Fairymon!"  
  
Lillymon took on a blue glow. Her hair turned silver as did her eyes. Her dress was silvery white and her shoes became dainty ballet slippers the same color of her dress. Her wings turned iridescent with a blue tint.  
  
Casey concentrated on her crest, Direction. "Crest Armor Energize!" Both Ankylomon and Casey began to glow a silvery gray color.  
  
"Ankylomon digivolve to...Moncorimon."  
  
Ankylomon darkened until he became a dark gray color. Light gray scales covered his body and spikes grew out of his tail and around his head. His eyes became a grayish blue color.  
  
The three Mega Ultimates took off towards Sentrymon with determination. If they could take Sentrymon out in one strike, they could destroy the gate before anyone had a chance to stop them. Sentrymon looked up briefly to see the three digimon head his way. However, he couldn't react in time.  
  
"Dragons Breath!" Red Dragonmon yelled.  
  
"Star Shower!" Starlight Fairymon yelled.  
  
"Metal Tailhammer!" Moncorimon called out.  
  
The combined attacks hit Sentrymon, destroying him instantly.  
  
"We need to destroy the gate quickly. Any suggestions oh great genius?" Starlight Fairymon asked.  
  
Sakura looked up at the blue and white fairy digimon. "Actually, I have discovered the best way to destroy it is to launch all of our digimons attacks into the digital gate."  
  
"Right. You heard her. Everyone, attack the gate," Taylor stated.  
  
"Dragons Breath!"  
  
"Star Shower!"  
  
"Metal Tailhammer!"  
  
"Spiking Strike!" Stingmon shouted.  
  
"Paralyzing Sting!" Scorpionmon yelled.  
  
"Wing Blade!" Garudamon chimed in.  
  
"Metal Wolf Claw!" Metal Garurumon said.  
  
"Horn Buster!" Tentomon yelled.  
  
"Grand Horn!" Aquillamon added.  
  
"Vulcan's Hammer!" Zsudamon yelled.  
  
All the attacks hit their mark, but didn't seem to do anything to even damage the digital gate. Time was running out as more evil digimon kept pouring in.  
  
"There has to be something we can do," Kelly voiced. "It seems hopeless now, but I know there is a way to destroy that thing." An aqua glow began to surround her as she pulled out a necklace that appeared around her neck.  
  
"You have the crest of Truth," Sam supplied.  
  
Kelly put a hand over the glowing crest. "Crest Armor Energize!" An aqua glow surrounded Aquillamon and Kelly.  
  
"Aquillamon digivolve to...Eaglemon!"  
  
Aquillamon changed from the form of a hawk to that of an eagle. White feathers spread from his head blending into black as they flowed over the rest of his body. His eyes became a reddish brown color.  
  
"Wow," Kelly breathed upon seeing her digimons new digivolution.  
  
"Let's try attacking again," Mark stated. "If we continue to work as a team, we might just win." A pale blue glow surrounded him as he pulled a crest, on a chain, from his shirt.  
  
"You have the crest of Unity," Sam stated.  
  
"At this rate, all of our crests will be revealed in one day," Sakura stated.  
  
Mark followed what the others had done. "Crest Armor Energize!" A pale blue glow enveloped Mark and Metal Garurumon.  
  
"Metal Garurumon digivolve to...Ravegmon!"  
  
Metal Garurumon took on the form of a vicious looking, black wolf. His fur shown in the light as though it were made of steel and his eyes were an ice blue that shown with a fierceness that sent chills down your spine.  
  
As suggested, all the Digimon attacked the gate together. They added two more attacks. Eagles Claw and Deadly Claws. This time, they succeeded in closing the gate. Now, they just had to deal with the evil digimon that had made it through the gate, as well as discovering the remaining crests.  
  
As the digimon began attacking the evil digimon, K.T. watched from her position, away from the battle. She wished that she could help. Although her fear of the darkness was slowly subsiding, she still felt pessimistic about the whole situation. Surely the Digidestined couldn't discover all of their crests in one day and even if they could, there was no way they could defeat all the evil digimon. They would have to practically lure all the evil digimon into one place. As soon as that thought hit her, K.T. had an inspiration. She vaguely remembered that Mr. Izumi had mentioned something about one event in time being the cause of this disaster. She pulled out the mini computer and began scanning through the contents like a computer genius. She was looking for certain clues. The blasts and explosions from the digimons attacks faded to the background as she poured all her attention into finding what she needed. Before long, K.T. was so engrossed in her search, that everything else faded away. Then she hit the jackpot. A piece of text that had been hidden until now.  
  
_When the person who has destroyed life is forgiven by the one whom they have wronged, then the trump card will be revived and light can save the world from darkness.  
  
_There was only one problem, though. K.T. hadn't a clue what it meant. She knew it was what she had been looking for, but couldn't figure out it's meaning. She sat on the ground as she continued to search.  
  
"Who needs to forgive who for what?" K.T. thought.  
  
K.T. heard a woman scream and looked up to see the same man and woman she kept running into. They were standing a block away with other bystanders. They were mesmerized by the fighting. It was obvious the woman was frightened. K.T. turned her attention to the battle just in time to see Kristy glow with a red light.  
  
"Kristy, you have the crest of Devotion," Sam stated.  
  
Kristy nodded, knowing what to do next. "Crest Armor Energize!" The red glow surrounded Kristy and Garudamon.  
  
"Garudamon digivolve to...Phoenixmon!"  
  
Garudamon changed into a magnificent bird with red, yellow and orange feathers. Her eyes glowed orange with an inner fire.  
  
"Flaming Whirlwind!" Phoenixmon yelled. A yellow-orange flame erupted from her mouth and combined with the others.  
  
The tables were starting to turn in their favor and K.T. felt hope surge inside her. Hope. Hope and Faith almost went hand and hand with each other. Her father had an abundance of hope and she realized that she did as well. However, somewhere along the way, she had lost her faith. Hope was knowing the future would be better. Faith was believing you could win when the odds were against you. Hope was easy, but Faith was hard. Faith meant leaping into the unknown without any reassurance you'd be all right. Faith meant believing that the person who killed your father really had a good heart and would never do something like that if they were in their right mind. K.T.'s head shot up from the computer screen.  
  
"When you have everything going for you it's easy to forget that there may be someone who doesn't know happiness the way you know it. A person like that is liable to do ANYTHING to get the happiness they feel they deserve," K.T. said to herself. Everything was becoming clear. She looked again at the man and woman across the street. "All he wanted was to be happy. He never stopped to realize what price others would have to pay for his actions. When happiness does not come knocking on your door, a person is capable of doing anything to get it."  
  
The man across the street looked at K.T. as if he had heard her. For a brief moment their eyes met. K.T. could have sworn she saw something like remorse in his eyes. Did he know that he had wronged her? If he did, was he truly sorry? A large explosion grabbed her attention. The Digidestineds digimon were getting tired, thus loosing energy quickly. It was only a matter of time before they reverted back to their in-training forms. Mark seemed to notice this and decided to call for a retreat. As the battle ended, everyone headed to Sakura's place to re-group and plan their next attack.  
  
&&&  
  
"Guys, I think I've figured out how to defeat these evil digimon," K.T. began. "We need to lure them into one central place then attack with everything we've got. However, we will need all of our digimon at full power to really get rid of the evil digimon. That means we need to discover all of our crests."  
  
"That's not going to be easy," Sakura stated. "Especially since you still don't have a digimon, K.T."  
  
"I know, but I've found a way to acquire my digimon. It's something personal that I need to deal with and once I do, all the pieces should fall into place."  
  
"I hope you're right," Jake stated. "We're putting a lot on the off chance all of us will discover our crests before these evil digimon destroy Japan. We're depending on each other a lot. We haven't even learned how to work as a team yet. You can depend on me to be there in case you get hurt, but can we all really work as a team?"  
  
"Jake has a point," Kevin responded. "Maybe once we've all obtained our crests, working as a team will come as second nature."  
  
"I think everything will happen when it happens. For now, all I care about is that everyone is all right," Sam stated, speaking his mind for the first time. "My only official 'job' is as Crest Keeper, but that doesn't mean I can't help in other ways. We each were given certain jobs based on our abilities. We can do those well and almost blindfolded. Our crests, however, reflect a specific personality trait we posses that we may not even know we have. We all need to work together with each other using our strengths. Once we accomplish that, anything is possible."  
  
Everyone looked at Sam, shocked that such strong feelings and wisdom came out of a little eight year old kid. "I'm with Sam on this," Sakura agreed. "I may be a genius when it comes to computers, but I'm also wise enough to know when someone knows what they're talking about and Sam sure does."  
  
Suddenly Jake began to glow with a grayish light, followed by Kevin being surrounded by a maroon light, then Sam being lit by a dark purple light and Sakura shinning with a pinkish light.  
  
"Jakes crest is Dependability," Sam explained. "Kevin's crest is Loyalty. Sakura's crest is Wisdom. Mine is Caring."  
  
"Well there goes my theory that we can't all discover our crests in one day," Kristy stated. "Now that that's out of the way, it's time to get serious." 

&&&

Authors Note: Did you enjoy that? If so there's a little button on the left hand side of the page. Press it and let me know exactly what you thought. Remember, flames are not tolerated. I don't smoke. Anyway, I hope this answers some questions. I'll try and update as soon as possible providing my work schedule cooperates and I don't get roasted alive from the heat. ;) In case you are wondering, I wrote the Mega Ultimate level digivolutions for the digimon long before I knew what they really were. It is by sheer coincidence that Biyomon's Mega Ultimate form actually is Phoenixmon. 


	9. Turning the Tide

Authors Note: I can't believe I have gotten so many reviews! This is the first story that I have gotten this many reviews for. Yay! Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I apologize in advance because it's kinda short, but I'm going on vacation and it will be a little while before I get the next chapter up. I didn't think it was fair to make you guys wait so long for a short chapter so, here it is. The next chapter is longer. I promise. :P I'd also like to thank the following people who reviewed.  
  
Takeru-rocks: Thanks for reviewing! I hope this doesn't disappoint.  
  
Anthony1: Thank you so much. You have been so faithful in reviewing this story. I don't think I have ever had someone who I can count on to review to every chapter of a story I've written. I'm also glad that you liked my action sequences. Sadly, action is hard for me to write, but I love a challenge so, I push through it. I also really like your questions. Some I'm not able to answer without giving away the ending, but I still appreciate them. Thanks again for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter.  
  
Angewomanandme: I love your reviews! I can't believe that you think this story is the best you have ever read. That just made my day! I'm glad you think I should be a writer. It's sorta a hobby right now. Writing fan fics has always come natural to me. It's the original stories that can give me trouble. I'm glad that you appreciate the details I added. I like to add a little spice to a story here and there and those details can make or break a story. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. PS I love your pen name. Angewoman rocks! I'm going as her to my local Anime convention.  
  
Chapter 8: Turning the Tide  
  
Dramatis Persona (list of characters)  
  
Taylor Kamiya: His job is the Leader. His Digimon is Augumon. His crest is Determination.  
  
Augumon: In-training form. Champion level- Greymon. Ultimate level-  
Metal Greymon. Warp Digivolution- War Greymon. Mega Ultimate level-  
Red Dragonmon.  
  
Kristy Kamiya: Her job is the Mediator. Her Digimon is Biyomon. Her Crest is Devotion.  
  
Biyomon: In-training form. Champion level- Birdramon. Ultimate  
level- Garudamon. Mega Ultimate level- Phoenixmon.  
  
Mark Ishida: His job is the Strategist. His Digimon is Gabumon. His crest is Unity.  
  
Gabumon: In-training form. Champion level- Garurumon. Ultimate  
level- Were Garurumon. Warp Digivolution- Metal Garurumon. Mega  
Ultimate level- Ravegemon.  
  
Lilly Ishida: Her job is looking out for the Digimon's Well Being. Her Digimon is Palmon. Her crest is Trust.  
  
Palmon: In-training form. Champion level- Togamon. Ultimate level-  
Lillymon. Mega Ultimate level- Starlight Fairymon.  
  
Kevin Ichijouji: His job is Species Recognition. His Digimon is Wormmon. His crest is Loyalty.  
  
Wormmon: In-training form. Champion level- Stingmon.  
  
Kelly Ichijouji: Her job is Language. Her Digimon is Hawkmon. Her crest is Truth.  
  
Hawkmon: In-training form. Champion level- Aquillamon. Mega Ultimate level- Eaglemon.  
  
Sam Ichijouji: His job is Crest Keeper. His Digimon is Black Wormmon. His crest is Caring.  
  
Black Wormmon: In-training form. Champion level- Scorpionmon.  
  
Jake Kido: His job is Medical. His Digimon is Gomamon. His crest is Dependability.  
  
Gomamon: In-training form. Champion level- Ikkagumon. Ultimate Level- Zsudamon.  
  
Sakura Izumi: Her job is Technical Advisor. Her Digimon is Tentomon. Her crest is Wisdom.  
  
Tentomon: In-training form. Champion level- Kabuterrimon. Ultimate  
level- Mega Kabuterrimon.  
  
K.T. Takashi: Her job is Trump Card. Her Digimon is unknown. Her crest is Faith.  
  
Casey Hida: Her job is Weapons. Her Digimon is Armadillomon. Her crest is Direction.  
  
Armadillomon: In-training form. Champion level- Ankylomon. Mega  
Ultimate level- Moncorimon.

&&&  
  
While the Digidestined kids were meeting at one house, their parents had also held a meeting at Tai's place. No one had to tell the parents what kind of dangers their children would face. These former Digidestined knew it well.  
  
"The truth is, they are going to have to learn how to work together as a team. Without teamwork they have nothing," Sora stated.  
  
All heads nodded in agreement. They had been working on ways to help their children for several hours. They came to the conclusion that the most they could do was encourage the new Digidestined.  
  
"We all have confidence that our children can defeat this evil. Like us, they end up growing up too fast," Cody voiced. "We all went through this and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say we hoped our children wouldn't have to follow in our footsteps. Honestly, they have it much harder than us. We only had to deal with the destruction of the Digital World, for the most part. They have to deal with the destruction of our world as well as the Digital World all in one fell swoop. That's too much pressure if you ask me."  
  
"I agree Cody," Mimi chimed in. "Most of our children are more than capable of handling something of this magnitude. Heck, they've got more street smarts than we did at their age. I'm worried about Sam. Sure he's the same age as Kari and T.K. were when they first went to the Digital World, but he hasn't gained his eight year old maturity yet. He still takes naps like clockwork and sucks his thumb when he's lonely. This is too much for someone like him. Then there's K.T. Has she even sat down and thought through what led to her living on the streets with her little brother? If she hasn't she's bound to blow up, for no reason, at any time. As hard as it may be, the time will come when we have no choice but to sit back and watch our children save the world just as our parents did when we fought Myotismon."  
  
"Everyone has brought up some valid points," Izzy began. "Now we just have to figure out what our plan of action is."  
  
&&&  
  
Morning dawned bright and early. The new Digidestined were still at Sakura Izumi's house. They had been discussing plans, strategies, etc., all night. Many of the Digidestined had fallen asleep during the discussions. K.T. was currently staring out the window. She was looking at the horizon without really seeing it. Lately it was getting harder for her to forget or push aside what had happened in her life. Her chin was resting in her hands as she stared out the window.  
  
"Are you all right? You seem kind of distant," Kelly asked K.T. Jake also joined Kelly as they took a seat beside the blonde.  
  
"I'm not really sure anymore. Life just seems so weird. I mean just when I've got everything figured out, something comes up and throws a monkey wrench in the whole thing," K.T. replied, not taking her eyes off the window.  
  
"Is it your parents?" Jake inquired.  
  
K.T. sighed. "Kinda. I mean, I thought I'd gotten past all that. My mom left for who knows why and my dad was murdered. I even think I've seen the guy who did it. Even though I know there are tons of people in this world who love me, I still feel empty inside. Like I'm the only one in the world and no one understands."  
  
I felt like that after my mom died of cancer. I still had my dad, aunts and uncles, etc., but it just didn't feel the same. To me it was like someone had ripped my heart out and I was left with an empty void. I didn't even really know what to do. I kinda felt numb. The truth is, this kind of pain doesn't completely go away. Over time it just gets easier to deal with. At times you even replace it with other feelings. It's hard right now, but someday it will be a little easier to deal with. Allow yourself to grieve, either in public or in private. Once you've acknowledged their death and abandonment, you can move on. I know I did. I still miss my mom, but it doesn't consume me anymore," Jake comforted.  
  
"Thanks," K.T. told him.  
  
Without thinking, Kelly embraced K.T. K.T. returned the hug realizing that Kelly wanted to help and this was her way of helping. Crystal tears began to fall down K.T.'s face. She hadn't cried in what seemed like forever. She had never wanted her little brother to see her as anything but strong. Now, she knew her friends only cared for her well being and she didn't need to be strong for them. Jake placed a hand on K.T.'s shoulder as she continued to cry in Kelly's arms. Right now she felt like she'd lost her father all over again. However, this is what she needed so that she could heal.  
  
The other Digidestined had finally gotten tired of discussing things. Many had broken off into smaller groups. Only a couple were talking. A comforting silence seemed to fill the room. Those that had fallen asleep, sometime during the night, were now waking up. No one dared break the silence. Taylor looked around the room. He realized this was the first time they had everyone together in the same room and no one was fighting or getting on each others nerves. It was almost like a wonderful tranquillity had settled on the room. 'Maybe this is the first step in us finally becoming a team,' Taylor thought.  
  
Taylor noticed the scene unfolding in the corner between Kelly, K.T., and Jake. He was glad that his cousin was finally taking time to grieve. He wondered what he would do if he were in K.T.'s place. Would he be able to kick his brain into survival mode and totally block out what had happened, for five years? He silently hoped so. Although prolonged grieve is never good, he figured it was better than grieving so much that he couldn't even take care of himself on the streets, little alone his sister Kristy. Taylor sympathized with K.T. He knew she'd been though a hard life and he wished he could make it all better. Kristy stirred next to him, tearing him away from his thoughts. She rubbed her ruby red eyes and looked up at her brother.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts," Kristy asked.  
  
Taylor smiled at her way of finding out what was on his mind. "I was just thinking about our cousin, K.T. That's all."  
  
"Oh." Kristy's gaze traveled to three figures in the corner by the window. "I'm glad that she's finally letting it all out. Mom and dad were worried that she hadn't had any time to grieve. It's not good to keep things like that bottled up." Kristy stretched before leaning against her older brother. She closed her eyes and sighed.  
  
Taylor knew that none of them had gotten that much sleep in the past few days. It had started to take it's toll on all of them including Kristy. Taylor placed an arm around his sister as she drifted off to sleep again. He silently hoped that they could defeat this evil sooner rather than later.  
  
&&&  
  
It was noon time before everyone had gotten their much needed rest. They woke up to the smell of what Lilly was cooking. Her love for cooking was something many thought she had gotten from her mother. That wasn't entirely true. Ever since she'd been allowed to use the stove, she had loved to cook. From baking to preparing elaborate meals, cooking was something that came natural to her. She knew that her mother hadn't always wanted to cook. Her mother had started out wanting to become a model. Somewhere between the odd jobs, at different restaurants to pay the bills and get her through college, Mimi had found a love for cooking.  
  
Cooking wasn't something Mimi could pass on to her daughter, because her daughter had wanted to cook long before she knew it was her mothers profession. In fact, Lilly taught herself everything she knew about cooking. There wasn't any cook book she hadn't read or any recipe she hadn't tried. Lilly looked around the room at her friends. All of them had sprawled out in various positions during the night. Here and there they all started to stir as the smell of food brought them out of their slumber. In some ways, it made Lilly think of herself as part of one big family. She smiled before turning her attention back to her cooking. Everyone would need their strength for the battle that would soon come.  
  
K.T. woke to the sound of laughter. For a brief minute she thought it belonged to her father. She knew it couldn't be her father. He was long gone. She rubbed the sleep out of her sky blue eyes and looked around the room. Casey was telling jokes, with Sam's help, and a few were enjoying themselves by playing a card game in the corner. A smile crept across her face as she watched her new friends. Her real family might be gone, but she had a pretty amazing one right in front of her. She realized this was probably the first time all of them were in the same room, just enjoying themselves, without constantly worrying about danger or evil digimon.  
  
"Hey K.T., come join us," Lilly called to her cousin, inviting her to join in their card game.  
  
"K," K.T. replied getting up and walking over to where they were.  
  
"Ever played card games before?" Taylor asked.  
  
"Well, this one homeless guy did teach me how to play solitaire. I almost got it down before I lost the deck of cards. Other than that, no," K.T. replied.  
  
"Don't worry. It's easy. We'll teach you an easy one first, than we can go from there," Mark explained.  
  
The rest of the afternoon, K.T. learned all sorts of games and was disappointed when they had to quit. After supper, everyone gathered around for a meeting to discuss their next plan of action. They had taken a day off and sadly, that was all they could afford.  
  
&&&  
  
Darkness descended upon the city of Tokyo. A dark figure, perched on a high building, surveyed the city. 'It won't be long now,' He thought. 'Soon the city will belong to me and all it's inhabitants will bow down before me. I won't stop here. No. I'll keep going until the whole world it mine!' He stared at the city below like a hawk searching for prey. Tonight, the moons light seemed to dim in his shadows. His plan was flawless. His minions would lure the Digidestined brats into a trap. There, he would destroy them. One by one until they were no more. An evil grin appeared on his face. He would enjoy watching their pain. 'To think all of this death and destruction from one persons choice. How convenient,' He mused. 'This is why humans are such fools. They think that their decisions only effect them and no one else. They never take the time to see if maybe their choices could indirectly alter someone else's life. Stupid humans. They truly are the inferior creature.' He drew a circle in the air with his finger. A black hole formed before him, revealing the shadow face of another digimon. "Darkmon, prepare the troops. We attack at dawn!"  
  
&&&  
  
K.T. stared out the window of the Izumi apartment. It should have been a beautiful morning. Instead, the sky was a gray color. Almost as if a storm were coming. She involuntarily shivered. Just looking at the sky sent chills down her spine. She knew, somehow, that the sun wasn't fully shinning because it was loosing its power, but not from cloud cover or anything like that. For some reason, the lack of light from the sun made the air seem colder. She looked around at her sleeping companions. She was the only one up at 7:30 in the morning. She sighed. Today was going to be a long day.  
  
&&&  
  
The Digidestined gathered near downtown Tokyo. Their eyes scanned the sight before them. One thought was on everyone's minds. How could they have slept through _this_? The scene before them seemed to be straight out of a war movie. Whole buildings were toppled, trees uprooted, and a handful of bodies scattered here and there. No one could have prepared them for this kind of destruction. The worst part was, whoever did this wasn't far away. That's what scared them.  
  
"My dear Digidestined. So nice to see you out and about this fine morning. It's about time you graced us with your presence," An ominous voice echoed through the streets.  
  
"Show yourself monster!" Taylor demanded.  
  
"Brave words for someone who can sleep through the destruction of a city. Sleeping on the job doesn't look good for would-be heroes. Does it?" The voice retorted. Laughter soon followed, but the Digidestined didn't see anything funny about it. "One of you has already noticed something crucial about the situation. However, there isn't time to correct it. Too bad. After all, it did give you the advantage."  
  
"What is he talking about?" Lilly questioned.  
  
"The sun," K.T. answered. "He's draining the suns power. If it goes out, his darkness will be able to run free and we will be in serious trouble."  
  
"Mark, what's the plan?" Taylor asked his strategist.  
  
They all gathered together to figure out a plan of action. Unbeknownst to them, the shadows began to creep slowly towards them. A dark figure watched them with an evil grin on his face. All plans would be futile once his shadow soldiers were in place. Though the children had proven themselves formidable opponents, today they would meet their maker. The Digidestined broke their huddle and looked around.  
  
"Is it just me or are those shadows moving?" Sam asked.  
  
"You're right bro. I see it too," Kelly agreed.  
  
"It's not important. Remember what we discussed," Taylor instructed. They all nodded.  
  
"Too bad your plan will fail!" The voice boasted. "Attack!"  
  
The shadows came up from the ground, at an alarming rate, forming dark shapeless figures. They pounced on the group of children only to discover they were all gone.  
  
"What!" The voice roared. "Fan out and find them!"  
  
Each of the Digidestined had split up, going off in different directions. They had hoped to lure the Shadowmon away from each other. Together, Shadowmon were invincible, but apart they were easily defeated. Sam was the one who had spotted the shadows during their huddle. Kevin informed them of who they were and what they could do. They pretended to be afraid so, the digimon wouldn't suspect a thing. What the Shadowmon and the voice had failed to notice, was that K.T. had slipped away during their huddle. Seeing as she didn't have a digimon yet, she couldn't help them out. Besides, she needed to find some answers.  
  
&&&  
  
K.T. ran through the outskirts of Tokyo on her way to Odiva. The streets were mostly deserted, but she knew where to find who she was looking for. She followed a path she had taken several times in the past few months. One that led her right past a place she would never forget. Although it hurt, she needed to remember. Needed to force herself to recall every last detail from her childhood. They say you can never really forget someone who cared for you more than anything. Dark brown hair. Ruby red eyes. The sent of Cherry Blossoms after the rain. A beautiful smile. Warm, caring personality. Someone who would always be there for her.  
  
K.T. stopped dead in her tracks. Across the way, two people sat at an open air café, enjoying a hot cup of tea. Several emotions ran through K.T. as she approached the two. It was now or never.  
  
&&&  
  
The dark figure growled as he watched from his perch. How could a bunch of brats outsmart him so easily? His plan had been fool proof. The Digidestined kids were supposed to be in his grasp now. He could see his Shadowmon combing the streets in search of the children. He began to hear his Shadowmons shrieks of defeat and realized he had indeed been outsmarted. Those kids knew how to defeat these digimon. However, he was not through with them. One, by one, the Digidestined re-grouped right underneath his perch. A smirk appeared on his face. This was way too easy. With a nod of his head, his dark soldiers surrounded the Digidestined. Evil digimon that were loyal only to him. "That was a test, dear Digidestined brats. You passed with flying colors. It makes me wonder what you'll do to handle this next test."  
  
&&&  
  
Authors Note: Well there's the end of that chapter. Sorry to end in a cliffhanger, but that's life. ;) Anyway, please review and I promise the next one will be longer.


	10. The Truth About Darkness

Authors Note: Thank you all for reviewing and bearing with me while I try to get this out as soon as possible. I apologize for this being another short chapter, but I can assure you that the next chapter will be much longer. Hopefully this chapter will explain a few things, but some things still need to be left unsaid until future chapters. I have also decided to put my reviewer thank you/response list at the end of the fic so you can get to the story quicker. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. That's a good thing ;)

Chapter 9: The Truth About Darkness

Taylor Kamiya: His job is the Leader. His Digimon is Augumon. His crest is Determination.

Augumon: In-training form. Champion level- Greymon. Ultimate level- Metal Greymon. Warp Digivolution- War Greymon. Mega Ultimate level- Red Dragonmon.

Kristy Kamiya: Her job is the Mediator. Her Digimon is Biyomon. Her Crest is Devotion.

Biyomon: In-training form. Champion level- Birdramon. Ultimate level- Garudamon. Mega Ultimate level- Phoenixmon.

Mark Ishida: His job is the Strategist. His Digimon is Gabumon. His crest is Unity.

Gabumon: In-training form. Champion level- Garurumon. Ultimate level- Were Garurumon. Warp Digivolution- Metal Garurumon. Mega Ultimate level- Ravegemon.

Lilly Ishida: Her job is looking out for the Digimon's Well Being. Her Digimon is Palmon. Her crest is Trust.

Palmon: In-training form. Champion level- Togamon. Ultimate level- Lillymon. Mega Ultimate level- Starlight Fairymon.

Kevin Ichijouji: His job is Species Recognition. His Digimon is Wormmon. His crest is Loyalty.

Wormmon: In-training form. Champion level- Stingmon.

Kelly Ichijouji: Her job is Language. Her Digimon is Hawkmon. Her crest is Truth.

Hawkmon: In-training form. Champion level- Aquillamon. Mega Ultimate level- Eaglemon.

Sam Ichijouji: His job is Crest Keeper. His Digimon is Black Wormmon. His crest is Caring.

Black Wormmon: In-training form. Champion level- Scorpionmon.

Jake Kido: His job is Medical. His Digimon is Gomamon. His crest is Dependability.

Gomamon: In-training form. Champion level- Ikkagumon. Ultimate Level- Zsudamon.

Sakura Izumi: Her job is Technical Advisor. Her Digimon is Tentomon. Her crest is Wisdom.

Tentomon: In-training form. Champion level- Kabuterrimon. Ultimate level- Mega Kabuterrimon.

K.T. Takashi: Her job is Trump Card. Her Digimon is unknown. Her crest is Faith.

Casey Hida: Her job is Weapons. Her Digimon is Armadillomon. Her crest is Direction.

Armadillomon: In-training form. Champion level- Ankylomon. Mega Ultimate level- Moncorimon.

&&&

K.T. took a deep breath as she crossed the street. On the other side was the truth she needed and a painful reminder of her past. In order to move on, she needed the answer to one question. Why?

A petite brunette woman was enjoying a cup of tea, at an outdoor café, with an auburn haired man. The man looked up to see a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes approach them. Something about the girl reminded him of someone. He couldn't quite place it, though. The brunette noticed he was intrigued by something and followed his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as if seeing a long lost friend or relative. The blonde girl stepped in front of their table before speaking.

"I know that neither of you know who I am, but I have reason to believe that I know both of you. I believe that one of you betrayed my family in a way that is unthinkable," K.T. said.

"You're right. I don't know you and unless my wife here does, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave us alone," The man responded. The woman didn't make an attempt to move.

"I don't expect you to recognize me. It's been five years, but you are responsible for what happened to my brother and myself whether you like it or not," K.T. retorted.

"Fine. Have it your way. Let's go," The man responded.

"Do whatever you like sir, but I will never forget your face. Five years ago, you killed my father leaving my brother and me to live on the streets. You spouted things about choices and decisions. You used to be his friend. You acted kindly towards my brother and me then turned and shot my father. I'll never forget your face, Mr. Motamiya," K.T. shot back.

The man with auburn hair was amazed at the blonde girls' boldness. How dare she accuse him of such a thing! Unless...no! It was absurd! She couldn't possibly be the girl he saw the day he visited T.K. Even if she was, she wasn't related to T.K. She was visiting. His niece or something. His mind was reeling. Images of what he thought had happened were now mixing with other images he hadn't seen in a long time. Try as he might, the images of that day flooded into his mind. He'd made a choice and was willing to live with a guilty conscience of murder. Could his choice have caused misery to this girl as well? Realization dawned. He'd been used by an evil creature to carry out an evil plan, but the blame was all his. He'd almost destroyed an entire family because of his selfishness. He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway. He'd forgotten about it until this little reminder came along.

"All I want to know is, why?" K.T. explained.

He looked down at her. "I did it because I wanted something I thought I deserved. I was selfish. I also realize it would have been better to let her decide. At least then I'd know where I stand."

"Davis, what is she talking about?" The brunette woman questioned.

"Something stupid I never should have done," He replied. He turned to K.T. "I'm sorry. I know it's not much, but it's at least a start."

K.T. looked into his eyes. She could see the remorse there. It was then she realized the truth about this man. They say love is blind. Would love blind a person to the point they forget what the consequences of their decision would be? She thought about how many decisions she'd made in her life. Did she ever stop and think about what the chain reaction might be? The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. Could she look this man in the eye and forgive him for killing her father? She asked herself, what would her father do. 'He'd tell me to forgive him,' she thought. K.T. looked over at the brunette who was so confused. She had no idea what was going on between K.T. and Davis.

"There's something else I'd like to know," K.T. began. "Was she worth it?"

Davis bowed his head. "No."

Though she couldn't see his face, K.T. did notice a single tear fall to the ground.

"If there's anything you need, let me know. I want to fix what I did," Davis told her.

"What I need is a mother and father. I never had either in my life. I do have two aunts and uncles and a handful of cousins so, I'll get by," K.T. responded. Davis looked at her, as if really seeing her for the first time. "Mr. Motamiya, even though what you did hurt my brother and me, I forgive you."

Davis couldn't believe his ears. She forgave him for killing her father. It looked like T.K. had taught his daughter well. A loud explosion broke the moment.

"I'm sorry. I have to go," K.T. explained before sprinting in the direction of the blast.

Davis turned towards to confused brunette and without a word, removed the crystal heart necklace, that was around her neck, and crushed it under his foot. The brunette shook her head as if trying to clear her mind. Her eyes scanned her surroundings before landing on Davis.

"Davis, explain," She requested.

"Sure thing Kari," Davis replied.

&&&

To any normal bystander, the scene before them might seem hopeless. Digimon locked in a battle that either side could win. The one thing that made it seem hopeless was that with every evil Digimon the good Digimon defeated, the good Digimon received dark spots. It was almost as if the evil Digimon were poisoned.

K.T. inhaled deeply as she surveyed the scene before her. How could they win only to loose? It didn't make sense. She watched the Digimon fight. Since their last encounter with evil Digimon, four new Digivolutions had taken place. Using Kevin's crest of Loyalty, Stingmon had digivolved to the Mega Ultimate level of Dragonmon. A Digimon that looked like a black dragon with yellow eyes. His main attack was Dragons Rage. Using Sam's crest of caring, Scorpionmon had digivolved to the Mega Ultimate form of Rancormon. A vicious looking Digimon that was a cross between a serpent and a dragon and was a dark brown color. His main attack was Sonic Scream. Using Sakuras crest of Wisdom, Kabuterrimon digivolved to the Mega Ultimate form of Shockmon. He looked like a cross between Kabuterrimon and an electric eel and was a blue color. His main attack was Furry Lightning. Using Jake's crest of Dependability, Zsudamon digivoloved to his Mega Ultimate level of Tsukatomon. He looked like a cross between Sedramon and a shark with green and black markings. He was a water Digimon who was just as deadly on land as in the water. His main attack was Deadly Tsunami. Even with the other Digimon (Ravegemon, Starlight Fairymon, Red Dragonmon, Phoenixmon, Eaglemon, And Moncorimon) The odds of winning didn't look good.

It didn't take the Digidestined long to realize that the black splotches, growing on their Digimon, were actually draining their digimons energy. The evil figure watched the battle from his shadowy perch. He enjoyed watching these children suffer. Two tests down. Only one more to finish them off. They were no match for his darkness. One by one, the Digimon began de-digivolving as their energy was drained. All of the evil Digimon had been defeated but at what cost?

"Congratulations Digidestined," The dark figure began. "You have proven yourselves to be worthy adversaries. What you have failed to notice, however, is that your sun is slowly dying! Without it, all who draw power, strength, or energy from it will cease to exist. I, on the other hand, will grow stronger. You see, my power comes from the darkness. Only one of you can defeat me. Only one of you knows how to stop the sun from dying. Good luck figuring it out. You only have a few hours left." He laughed a cold, sinister laugh that reverberated off the windows.

"Great. Just what we need, a time limit," Taylor stated sarcastically. "Got any good ideas Mark?"

"No. I wish I did, but with our Digimon loosing energy and our sun dying, I'm afraid there may not be anything we can do," Mark told him.

"I think I know how to fix this, but I'm not positive," K.T. said, joining the group. "Without a Digimon, though, it might not work. Our first priority should be to feed our Digimon. They'll need to replenish their strength."

Everyone agreed. They retreated to an abandoned grocery store that looked like it had seen better days. They split up to gather some food before re-grouping near the back of the store. It was about lunch time so, the Digidestined joined their Digimon in devouring the feast before them. Outside, the dark figure was biding his time. He needed a few minutes, anyway, to set his third and last test in motion. He knew exactly how many hours the Digidestined had before the sun died, but he wasn't going to tell them that.

The evil figure closed his eyes and began to concentrate on the darkness around him. He drew the darkness towards him like a piper leading mice out of town. He needed the darkness that dwelt in every human being. He stopped short when one human, he'd always gotten darkness from, no longer radiated the aura of someone controlled or deceived by darkness. What's more, this particular human had released the other human under the control of darkness. The evil figure was confused. How could someone, corrupted by darkness with the guilt of murder on his conscience, be free of the darkness? It didn't make sense. No one had the power to overcome darkness. He refused to believe otherwise.

The dark figure pushed that thought aside and continued with his plan. Once the darkness had been collected, the dark creature began to shape it into a Digimon strong enough to wipe out all of the Digidestineds Digimon with just one attack. The figure grinned. He was so sure his plan would work he forgot to figure in the possibility that there was one Digidestined who might receive their Digimon in time to stop him. He watched the sun gleefully. Draining the sun of it's power and light was one of his best ideas yet. Sure it took a lot of his strength, but in the end it would all be worth it.

&&&

"Are you sure about this K.T.?" Kelly questioned, after hearing the girls plan. "What happens if you're not supposed to get your Digimon until after we've defeated this figure?"

"Kelly does have a point," Jake said. "There's a slim chance it will work. Besides, how do you know that just forgiving this guy is enough?"

"I don't know guys. It's just a feeling I have. Still, I have to try. The last thing I want is to witness our sun die. This is just one idea and I won't be offended if you decide not to use it," K.T. replied.

The group had been going over several different ideas for a while now. They knew that time was running out. If they wanted to save the sun they would have to act fast. However, they had too many ideas and no good plans. Needless to say, they were starting to get frustrated.

"Guys, I just got an email from Gennai. He says we need to trust in the combined strength of our Digimon, the power of light, and our unstoppable Trump Card. If we digivolve our Digimon to their Mega Ultimate form then call out our crest and the phrase: Combination Format Execute, our Digimon will become stronger. However, the power of our Trump Card must be revealed first, in order for it to work," Sakura informed them. "No matter how you say it, this isn't going to be easy." She sighed.

"Is that all Gennai had to say?" Taylor questioned.

"I'm afraid so," Sakura answered. She was about to close her laptop when a flashing star, on the bottom of the screen, caught her attention. "Hold that thought. Gennai found us a program upload. There's a way to make our Digimon strong enough to survive an attack from the darkness. It's not much, but it may just buy is the time we need while we wait for the trump card. Everyone, hand me your digivices and I'll upload the program."

One by one, Sakura hooked up each of her teammates digivices to her computer and uploaded the program. Even K.T. got the upgrade. Once everyone had the program uploaded, they began to format a plan. It was based more on staying in the game rather than taking out the enemy. They had a feeling that the Trump Card's true power may not be revealed until the last possible moment. Never the less, they'd do what they could to stop evil. Even if they failed, they knew they had done their best. Now that a plan of action was in place, it was time to carry it out. They left the convenience store and wondered through the city knowing they would find the darkness soon enough.

&&&

As the sun began to die a slow death, despair and hopelessness seeped throughout the city. It spread like a plague encompassing all of Japan. No one had a clue where this dark cloud originated from. Not may realized the sun was dying. All too soon everyone would feel the full effects of a dead sun. The Digidestineds parents watched the approaching cloud with concern. As parents it was natural to worry. They now realized exactly what their parents had gone through when they were Digidestined. Along with their concern, they also believed in their children. They had walked in their shoes before. They knew the risks, the dangers, and most of all the benefits. Somehow their children would destroy the darkness and save the world. Such was the life of a Digidestined.

&&&

The darkness grew in strength and power from the negative thoughts and emotions the people fed it. It didn't take people long to figure out something wasn't right. Their fear and uncertainty soon added fuel to the darkness. They didn't know that was what made it stronger.

Somewhere, in the heart of Tokyo, a group of Digidestined children stood. They were ready. Prepared for a fight that was sure to mean either success or failure. Either way, they had no choice but to face this evil. Their destiny awaited. This was not the time for cowardice. This was the time to stand up and fight. The fight for humanity, for Japan, for the Digital World, and the fate of the sun was about to begin. It was time to see exactly what they were made of. It was time to prove to the world and themselves exactly what they were made of.

"Dear Digidestined brats. Are we feeling the pressure yet?" A dark voice boomed through the streets. The Digidestined recognized it as the same voice that had taunted them earlier.

"Why don't you step out of the shadows and show yourself," Kelly stated.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you. I'll show myself when I'm good and ready," The voice replied.

Suddenly, the Digidestined were surrounded by growing shadows. Each Digimon digivolved into it's Mega Ultimate form. The Digimon could feel the added protection that Gennai had given them. The shadows charged and the battle had begun. The dark figure watched his soldiers fight. Somehow the stupid Digimon of those annoying brats were able to fight off his Shadowmon. Now they were fiercer than ever. Disgust could be seen on his face. At this rate he might have to actually fight. He looked at the sun. The dying sun seemed to cheer him up. Those digi-brats would never figure out how to save their sun in time. Once the sun had died, it could never be revived.

&&&

K.T. watched the fight before her. True the Digimon were able to keep fighting and it seemed like they would last longer than last time, but she was still worried. What did it take to activate the Trump Card's power inside of her? She felt so helpless. A loud explosion shook the ground and sent the Digidestined flying. K.T. looked up and saw a dark figure looming over the wreckage. The figure smiled. With a wave of his hand, he sent the digmon flying.

"That's Lucerimon," Kevin informed. "He's Devorimon's second in command."

"The info on him is sketchy, but my computer does say that Lucerimon is directly linked to Devorimon. In theory, this means that if you kill one you kill both," Sakura added.

"Too bad our Digimon are loosing energy at an alarming rate," Lilly stated. "If we don't figure out the Trump Card's power soon, we may not have any Digimon left to fight with. Plus, I don't like how fast that sun is dying. We need help. Badly."

The dark figure, known as Lucerimon, was tossing the Digimon around like rag dolls. No mater how you put it, the Digidestined needed help. An evil grin was plastered across Lucerimons face.

"Having fun yet?" Lucerimon asked. "I sure hope my shadows aren't making you work too hard. What's it like fighting in the growing darkness? Don't you know that your Digimon can only survive in the light. Without it, they will die."

K.T. looked at the dying sun as the Digimon slowly returned to their in-training forms. "Please. Show me how I can help," K.T. asked as she continued to stare at the sun. A bright, golden glow surrounded K.T. and Lucerimon shrieked as the light hit him.

The Digidestined turned towards K.T., mesmerized by the light. Lucerimon gathered up all the dark energy he could find and formed it into a huge attack.

"Silent Scream!" Lucerimon yelled as he sent a dark energy blast at K.T. The blast hit the girl and engulfed her in darkness. At the same time, the last rays of the sun began to fade.

&&&

Authors Note: Another cliffy! Please bear with me, 'cause it may be a while before I get the next chapter up. I'm still in the process of writing/typing it up. I'll get it out as soon as possible, I promise. I'd like to thank the following people for their reviews and for giving me the encouragement to keep writing this.

Angewomonandme: Thanks so much for your reviews. I didn't realize how good I was until you came along. You really make me feel good about writing. I actually got the idea for this story while I was at work and it just sort of progressed from there. It turned out a bit different than I thought it would, but it ended up working anyway. I'm looking forward to your reviews.

Anthony1: Thank you for continuing to review this story. I hope this answers some of your questions. The rest, well you'll have to wait through at least two maybe three chapters. I'm not sure. I promise that all will be revealed in the end.


	11. The Power of Light

Authors Note: I apologize profusely for not getting this out sooner. I had major writers block and other things that I'm sure you don't want to hear about. Anyway, I hope this chapter pleases you and makes up for the late post. Don't forget to read and review ;)

Chapter 10: The power of Light

Dramtis Persona (list of characters)

Taylor Kamiya: His job is the Leader. His Digimon is Augumon. His crest is Determination.

Augumon: In-training form. Champion level- Greymon. Ultimate level- Metal Greymon. Warp Digivolution- War Greymon. Mega Ultimate level- Red Dragonmon.

Red Dragonmon: His attack is Dragons Breath

Kristy Kamiya: Her job is the Mediator. Her Digimon is Biyomon. Her Crest is Devotion.

Biyomon: In-training form. Champion level- Birdramon. Ultimate level- Garudamon. Mega Ultimate level- Phoenixmon.

Phoenixmon: Her attack is Flaming Whirlwind

Mark Ishida: His job is the Strategist. His Digimon is Gabumon. His crest is Unity.

Gabumon: In-training form. Champion level- Garurumon. Ultimate level- Were Garurumon. Warp Digivolution- Metal Garurumon. Mega Ultimate level- Ravegemon.

Ravegemon: His attack is Deadly Claws

Lilly Ishida: Her job is looking out for the Digimon's Well Being. Her Digimon is Palmon. Her crest is Trust.

Palmon: In-training form. Champion level- Togamon. Ultimate level- Lillymon. Mega Ultimate level- Starlight Fairymon.

Starlight Fairymon: Her attack is Star Shower

Kevin Ichijouji: His job is Species Recognition. His Digimon is Wormmon. His crest is Loyalty.

Wormmon: In-training form. Champion level- Stingmon. Mega Ultimate level- Dragonmon.

Dragonmon: His attack is Dragons Rage

Kelly Ichijouji: Her job is Language. Her Digimon is Hawkmon. Her crest is Truth.

Hawkmon: In-training form. Champion level- Aquillamon. Mega Ultimate level- Eaglemon.

Eaglemon: His attack is Eagle Claw

Sam Ichijouji: His job is Crest Keeper. His Digimon is Black Wormmon. His crest is Caring.

Black Wormmon: In-training form. Champion level- Scorpionmon. Mega Ultimate level- Rancormon.

Rancormon: His attack is Sonic Scream

Jake Kido: His job is Medical. His Digimon is Gomamon. His crest is Dependability.

Gomamon: In-training form. Champion level- Ikkagumon. Ultimate Level- Zsudamon. Mega Ultimate level- Tsukatomon.

Tsukatomon: His attack is Deadly Tsunami

Sakura Izumi: Her job is Technical Advisor. Her Digimon is Tentomon. Her crest is Wisdom.

Tentomon: In-training form. Champion level- Kabuterrimon. Ultimate level- Mega Kabuterrimon. Mega Ultimate level- Shockmon.

Shockmon: His attack is Fury Lightning.

K.T. Takashi: Her job is Trump Card. Her Digimon is unknown. Her crest is Faith.

Casey Hida: Her job is Weapons. Her Digimon is Armadillomon. Her crest is Direction.

Armadillomon: In-training form. Champion level- Ankylomon. Mega Ultimate level- Moncorimon.

Moncorimon: His attack is Metal Tail Hammer

&&&

The Digidestined watched helplessly as K.T. was consumed by darkness. The only member of their team that was completely defenseless. They had failed to protect her. One by one they hung their heads, ashamed that they had failed her. Their digmon lay bleeding and near death. The sun was breathing it's last. Lucerimon erupted in fits of maniacal laughter. It reverberated off the buildings and made the Digidstined feel even worse.

"Congratulations Digidestined. You really put up a fight. In the end I proved that darkness is superior," Lucerimon mocked.

"Perhaps, you overgrown shadow, but you have yet to meet the pick of the litter." Lucerimon looked down to see a white cat with orange stripes and purple eyes.

"Who the heck are you?" The dark digimon asked.

"Fury Gatomon. I'm a Champion level digimon that's about to teach you the true meaning of light in the midst of darkness," The cat digimon replied.

All the Digidestined were baffled by the arrival of this new digimon. They completely forgot about K.T. as they watched the banter between these two digimon. Lucerimon laughed at Fury Gatomon's proclamation.

"Yeah right. What can a puny little Champion level digimon do against a superior digimon like me?" Lucerimon asked.

"Plenty," Fury Gatomon stated. "K.T., let's teach this joker a lesson."

"You got it partner." The Digidestined turned to see that K.T. was unscathed and held a violet digivice in her hand. "Using the crest of Faith, Crest Armor Digivolve!"

"Fury Gatomon digivolve to...Solarimon, defender of the Light."

Fury Gatomon was replaced by a woman with long blonde hair and violet eyes. She had on golden body armor with golden boots. She had iridescent wings tinted with gold which looked like angels wings.

"I do believe we need to shed some light in here. It's just too dark to do anyone any good," Solarimon stated. She waved her hand in the direction of the sun, and the sun immediately regained it's full brilliance. "Much better."

"Noooooo!" Lucerimon screamed. He hissed curses at the angel-like digimon.

"Sakura, if you would do the honors. I believe Gennai has told you what to say to bring your digimon to ultimate strength," Solarimon told the red head.

"What about our digimon? They are in no condition to fight and they haven't got enough energy to even digivolve," Sakura questioned.

"My dear, that is why I restored your sun. If you look, you will see that your digimon are fully recovered," Solarimon explained.

The Digidstined did as told and were pleasantly surprised to see that their digimon had indeed fully recovered.

"All right guys. It's time to put Gennai's plan into action," Taylor stated. "Digivolve your digimon to their Mega Ultimate forms."

The Digidestined did so. Once all of the digimon were in there Mega Ultimate forms. The Digidestined called out the command Gennai had instructed them to use.

"Using the crest of Determination, Combination Format Execute," Taylor said.

"Bronze Shield Red Dragonmon initiate."

"Using the crest of Unity, Combination Format Execute," Mark commanded.

"Silver Steel Ravegemon initiate."

"Using the crest of Devotion, Combination Format Execute," Kristy stated.

"Copper shield Phoenixmon initiate."

"Using the crest of Trust, Combination Format Execute," Lilly called out.

"Diamond shield Starlight Fairymon initiate."

"With the crest of Loyalty, Combination Format Execute," Kevin said.

"Onyx Dragaonmon initiate."

"With the crest of Direction, Combination Format Execute," Casey stated.

"Rock Steel Moncorimon initiate."

"With the crest of Truth, Combination Format Execute," Kelly commanded.

"Silver Shield Eaglemon initiate."

"Calling on the crest of Wisdom, Combination Format Execute," Sakura stated.

"Pewter Plating Shockmon initiate."

"Calling on the crest of Caring, Combination Format Execute," Sam commanded.

"Steel Armor Rancormon initiate."

"With the crest of Dependability, Combination Format Execute," Jake said.

"Titanium Shielding Tsukatomon initiate."

"Using the crest of Faith, Combination Format Execute," K.T. called out.

"Golden Plated Solarimon initiate."

Lucerimon looked around at the new digimon before him. Well, they weren't really new they just had armor protecting them now. He wasn't frightened or the least bit concerned. To be honest, he was somewhat amused at their attempt to defeat him. He may have lost the advantage of the sun, but he could still beat them. Lucerimon called on his shadow monster to destroy the digimon. The shadow monster did as instructed and soon the battle had begun. Lucerimon looked on in amusement. Watching the Digidestined being defeated like this was most certainly worth every last minute.

The digimon stood their ground against this new minion. Their new armor not only protected them from attacks, but gave each of _their_ attacks and added boost. However, this new shadow digimon was relentless.

"We need to find a way to turn the tide on this battle," Lilly stated.

"Agreed, but how?" Jake questioned.

"Maybe if we combined our attacks," Sakura suggested.

"That might just work," Mark agreed.

The Digidestined instructed their digimon to combine their attacks together. The digimon agreed and positioned themselves in a circle around the shadow digimon. Lucerimon saw this maneuver and directed his creation to strike before the digimon were in place. The attack did some minor damage to the digimon, but completely annihilated the shadow creature. Lucerimon shrugged it off as he prepared to face the Digidestined himself.

"The time has finally come to see exactly which side will win the fight tonight," Lucerimon taunted. "Dark Energy Wave!"

A black light shot out from Lucerimons hands. It was all the digimon could do to stay upright. Lucerimon laughed as the digimon struggled to re-gain their position.

"It's now or never," K.T. stated. "Time to show this creep the meaning of power."

"Dragons Breath!" Red Dragonmon yelled. A red vapor was emitted from his mouth, temporarily paralyzing Lucerimon.

"Deadly Claws!" Ravegemon said as his claws ripped through Luicerimon.

"Flaming Whirlwind!" Phoenixmon shouted as a red-orange whirlwind hit Lucerimon.

"Star Shower!" Starlight Fairymon stated as electric blue stars hit the evil digimon. Lucerimon grunted in pain.

"Dragons Rage!" Dragonmon yelled. Red lasers shot from his eyes and hit Lucerimon square in the chest.

"Deadly Tsunami!" Tsukatamon shouted as Lucerimon was drenched in water.

"Eagle Claw!" Eaglemon said. Lucerimon was once again ripped apart by sharp claws.

"Fury Lightning!" Shockmon yelled. The electricity hit some of the water around Lucerimon and gave him an extra nasty shock.

"Sonic Scream!" Rancormon stated. Lucerimons ears hurt from the noise, then refused to stop ringing.

"Metal Tail Hammer!" Moncorimon shouted. Lucerimon was almost knocked off his feet.

"Solar Beam Strike!" Solarimon said. A golden yellow light shot down from the sky and struck the weakened digimon on the head. Unable to take another attack, he was reduced to black vapor and disappeared.

Before the Digidestined could celebrate, a dark cloud settled over the area. Dark shadows fought for control with the light from the sun.

"I am most impressed, young Digidestined," An evil voice stated from the shadows. "I would not celebrate too quickly, if I were you. You have proven that you have some strength, bravery, and determination, just as your parents did. However, you have yet to defeat the kinds of evil that they faced. Sadly, they could not manage to destroy all the evil in the Digital World before they passed the task on to you. The Dark Ocean is a nice place to plan. Plenty of solitude, great access to loyal servants, and full of the darkness I need in order to evolve. Myotismon, in all his forms, was a pushover. Devorimon, weak. Apoclamon, easy to defeat. Me, on the other hand, they could not defeat. I was banished to the Dark Ocean by the once great Digimon Emperor. Banished. I could not be destroyed so, I was banished. Even your parents could not defeat me. A kind of evil that could easily destroy one insignificant family and leave one Digidestined doubting himself. I, the great Daemon, stand before you as Devorimon," The evil digimon stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself. He looked like anything your mind could conjure up to be the embodiment of pure evil. His eyes were a yellowish red and he smiled a sinister smile at the young Digidestined before him.

The Digidestined were momentarily startled, but quickly recovered. This was it. The last battle come down to a face off between pure evil and those who served the light. The Digidestined were determined to win at all costs. They gathered together, in a group, to discuss their strategy.

"Our digimon are strong, but I'm not sure if they are strong enough to take on this kind of evil," Lilly stated. She'd been observing their digimon, during the battle, and had a pretty good idea of their abilities.

"Lilly is right," Sakura agreed. "We need something more. Another level or something. Something our parents didn't have access to."

"Like weapons," Casey stated.

Everyone looked at her.

"That would give us an advantage," K.T. mused. "How do we do it?"

"I have an idea," Casey began. "Sakura, may I see your computer?" The red head nodded and moved over to allow the red head access. Casey pulled up the stats of each digimon and paired it with their Digidestined partner. "Each one of us has something in common with our digimon. I believe if we can tap into that, we can find our solution."

As Casey worked, Devorimon waited and watched. He was itching for a fight. Without warning, he attacked. The digimon did their best to protect their partners. It was soon becoming clear that the battle wasn't going well.

"I've got it!" Casey exclaimed. "It's a bit complicated, but if this sequence is entered right, it should work. K.T., may I borrow that mini computer of yours?" K.T. handed her the computer. "By using the program marked jobs, I can tap into the sub file inside. My job is weapons. Part of that job is knowing when and how to use them." She accessed a sub file marked **Distribution **which was located under the file with her job in it. She did exactly as the file instructed. "Follow my lead," Casey told the others. "On your Digivice is a button with a star on it. Push it, then do exactly what the voice instructs you to. I'll demonstrate." Casey pushed the star button on her tan Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name," A voice said.

"Casey Hida."

"Digidestined link."

"Cody Hida."

"Digimon Partner."

"Armadillomon."

"Crest."

"Direction."

"Job."

"Weapons."

"Special Skill."

"Expertise in most martial arts."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upgrade initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Casey was surrounded by a grayish black glow. When this light faded she was covered in Rock Steel armor, exactly the same as her digimon partner. In her hands she held a Kendo stick and in her belt were a few daggers and other sharp items which could be thrown. The others gasped at her in disbelief. They quickly recovered from their shock and followed Casey's example. Taylor went next, pushing the star button on his orange Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activate. State your name."

"Taylor Kamiya."

"Digidestined link."

"Tai Kamiya."

"Digimon Partner."

"Augumon."

"Crest."

"Determination."

"Job."

"Leader."

"Special Skill."

"Quick Reflexes."

"Highest Digivolition level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upgrade initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Taylor was surrounded by an orange glow. When the light faded, he was dressed in Bronze armor just like his digimon partner. In his hand was a magnificent looking sword. Kristy followed her brother and pushed the star button on her red Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"Kristy Kamiya."

"Digidestined link."

"Sora Takenouchi."

"Digimon Partner."

"Biyomon."

"Crest."

"Devotion."

"Job."

"Mediator."

"Special Skill."

"Good aim."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upgrade initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Kristy was engulfed in a reddish glow as she received Copper armor much like her digimon partner. In her hand, a bow appeared and a quiver of arrows was strapped to her back. Mark followed her, pushing the star button on his light blue Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"Mark Ishida."

"Digidestined link."

"Matt Ishida."

"Digimon Partner."

"Garurumon."

"Crest."

"Unity."

"Job."

"Strategist."

"Special Skill."

"Problem Solver."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upgrade initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Mark began to glow with a pale blue light. Like his digimon partner, he was clothed in Silver Steel armor. Throwing knives appeared in his belt. Lilly followed her brother, pushing the star button on her green Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"Lilly Ishida."

"Digidestined link?"

"Mimi Tacikawa."

"Digimon Partner."

"Palmon."

"Crest."

"Trust."

"Job."

"Digimon's well being."

Special Skill."

"Quick eye."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upload initiate. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Lilly was bathed in a green glow as she received Diamond armor the same as her digimon partner. In her hands appeared twin sabers. Kevin followed her, pushing the star button on his maroon digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"Kevin Ichijouji."

"Digidestined link."

"Ken Ichijouji."

"Digimon Partner."

"Wormmon."

"Crest."

"Loyalty."

"Job."

"Species Recognition."

"Special Skill."

"Speed."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upload initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Kevin was bathed in a maroon glow as he received Onyx armor, much the same as his digimon partner. A broad sword appeared in a sheath strapped to his back. Kelly followed, pressing the star button on her aqua Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activate. State your name."

"Kelly Ichijouji."

"Digidestined link."

"Yolie Inoue."

"Digimon Partner."

"Hawkmon."

"Crest."

"Truth."

"Job."

"Language."

"Special Skill."

"Multitasking."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upload initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivoultion, ultimate level, engage."

Kelly was surrounded by an aqua glow as she was given the same Silver armor as her digimon. In her hands appeared a crossbow and a quiver of arrows was strapped to her back. Sam followed his sisters example and pushed the star button on his dark purple digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"Sam Ichijouji."

"Digidestined link."

"Ken Ichijouji and Yolie Inoue."

"Digimon Partner."

"Black Wormmon."

"Crest."

"Caring."

"Job."

"Crest Keeper."

"Special Skill."

"Observant."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivoultion upload initiated. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Sam was surrounded by a dark purple glow. He noticed he now wore Steel armor as did his digimon partner. He was also given a slingshot and a pouch full of projectiles. Jake followed Sam, also pushing the star button on his gray Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"Jake Kido."

"Digidestined link."

"Joe Kido."

"Digimon Partner."

"Gomamon."

"Crest."

"Dependability."

"Job."

"Medical."

"Special Skill."

"Untrained Knowledge."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upload initiate. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivoultion, ultimate level, engage."

Jake was engulfed in a grayish light as he received the same Titanium armor as his digimon. A mace appeared in his hands. Sakura went after Jake and pressed the star button in her pink digivice.

"Digivoultion sequence activated. State your name."

"Sakura Izumi."

"Digidestined link."

"Izzy Izumi."

"Digimon Partner."

"Tentomon."

"Crest."

"Wisdom."

"Job."

"Technical Advisor."

"Special Skill."

"Split second problem solving."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upload initiate. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

Sakura began to glow pink as she was clothed in Pewter Plated armor like her digimon. Two short swords appeared in two sheaths tied to her back. K.T. followed Sakura, also pressing the star button on her lavender Digivice.

"Digivolution sequence activated. State your name."

"K.T. Takashi."

"Digidestined link."

"T.K. Takashi and Kari Kamiya."

"Digimon Partner."

"Fury Gatomon."

"Crest."

"Faith."

"Job."

"Trump Card."

"Special Skill."

"Incredible balance."

"Highest Digivolution level."

"Mega Ultimate complete with full armor."

"Processing information...access granted. Digivolution upload initiate. Downloading weapon. Download complete."

"Digivolution, ultimate level, engage."

K.T. was surrounded by a golden glow as she received the same Golden Plated armor as her digimon. A samurai sword appeared in her hand. For a few minutes, everyone marveled at their new weapons.

"Now we can kick some serious bad guy butt," Casey stated.

They turned to see Devorimon seriously thrashing their Digimon.

"Crystal Shield!" Lilly shouted. She had crossed her twin sabers as a white light erupted from them. The shield appeared between the digimon and Devorimon.

"Healing Rain!" K.T. stated. She lifted her sword towards the sky as a golden rain bathed the digimon and restored their strength.

"So, the Digidestined learned a few tricks. I assure you it won't be enough to stop me. Dark Tornado!" Devorimon retorted. A dark whirlwind appeared over his head. The darkness was attempting to suck the digimon and their human partners into the void.

"Flame Arrows!" Kristy yelled as she shot two of her arrows in the whirlwind.

"Razor Arrows!" Kelly yelled as she added two arrows, from her crossbow, to the whirlwind.

The dark inverted tornado imploded on itself and Devorimon was left looking stunned. Devorimon quickly recovered and began to attack again. Both the Digidestined and their digimon proceeded to return fire. As the battle progressed, each Digidestined began to form different ideas on how to destroy Devorimon. Kelly began to notice something about how her fellow Digidestined and how their digimon fought. The digimon seemed to sense their partners moves as if the two were speaking the same unspoken language. Realization hit her. Digimon had more than one language. It was an unspoken language that they shared with their Digidestined partner, just like a bond of some kind. If they could find a way to tap into that language, they might just find the way to defeat Devorimon.

Kelly closed her eyes and listened. She concentrated on her digimon's voice as he yelled out his attacks. She allowed herself to become one with the voice as if she needed it to survive. She freed her mind of any thoughts and focused on what Eaglemon was doing. She listened to his attacks as they repeated themselves. She heard the steady rhythm of his heart as he fought. She heard his thoughts. His desire to protect her and all innocent life. Then she heard it, clear as day. A new voice which sounded like Eaglemon's and her voice combined. It's instructions were clear and she felt compelled to obey.

"The arrow and the archer are one," The voice spoke. "The arrow screams like an eagle's cry. It hit's it's mark with the precision of an eagle's eye. It penetrates with the force of an eagle's claw."

"Razor Arrow, Eagle's Scream!" Kelly heard herself and Eaglemon say at the same time. Kelly opened her eyes to see an aqua shaft of light shoot through the air. It hit Devorimon in the stomach, ripping open a huge gash and knocking the wind out of him. Everyone turned to look at her.

"How the heck did you do that?" Kevin asked his sister.

"I let the language of my digimon guide me," Kelly replied. "Look, we each share a bond with our digimon partners. A bond that is stronger than anything we are used to. If we allow that bond to take control than we will learn the inner language of our digimon. It's our digimon's and our thoughts thinking together as one. All you have to do is let go and trust in our digimon to guide us."

"Cool," Sam stated. "How do we do it sis?"

"Simple. Just concentrate on your digimon's voice and let go of your thoughts. Alone we can't hope to defeat Devorimon. However, if we combine our weapons with our Digimon's attacks we might just find a way to defeat him," Kelly explained.

"I'm all for it," Jake agreed.

"All right then. Everyone do as Kelly instructed. The sooner we get rid of this annoying creature the sooner we can get back to a normal life," Taylor said.

Everyone closed their eyes as Devorimon got up from his momentary set back. He began to attack the digimon again and they continued to protect their Digidestined partners. Each Digidestined listened to their digimon's voice and allowed themselves to fall into the rhythm of the sound.

"The sword becomes the flame. The flame that fuels the determined. Determination that lives inside and ignites the dragons breath," A voice inside Taylor and Red Dragonmon's head spoke.

"Fire Inferno Blast!" Taylor heard himself and Red Dragonmon yell. A stream of fire shot from Taylors sword and combined with Red Dragonmon's deadly breath to create a fire ball that struck Devorimon in the head.

"The Twin Sabers become the stars. Piercing the darkness with their deadly beauty. Twin sabers that unleash the fury of a dying star," A voice inside Lilly and Starlight Fairymon's head said.

"Super Nova Precision Strike!" Lilly heard herself and Starlight Fairymon yell. A green light sliced through the air and impacted against Devorimon's chest with such force it knocked him off his feet.

"The Mace becomes the vessel to unleash the oceans fury. A dangerous force at your command. Dependable strength to guide such fury," A voice inside Jake and Tsukatamon's head stated.

"Deadly Tsunami Force!" Jake heard himself and Tsukatamon say. A grayish beam of energy shot from Jake's mace, as he swung it towards Devorimon. The energy beam hit the evil digimon with the force of a giant wave.

Devorimon was shocked. How could these Digidestined brats gain such power? What made them stronger than their parents?

"The wind and the archer are one. The fire dances on the arrow as the wind directs it's path. A devotion to life ensures it's perfect aim," A voice inside Kristy and Phoenixmon's head spoke.

"Flaming Arrow Whirlwind!" Kristy heard herself and Phoenixmon yell. The arrow formed a whirlwind of fire around Devorimon to keep him from moving his limbs.

"The slingshot becomes the banshee's call. A scream to warn of what's to come," A scream inside Sam and Rancormon's head said.

"Sonic Scream Impact!" Sam heard himself and Rancormon yell. Sam swung his slingshot around, producing a deafening scream. He then unleashed the projectiles inside, weakening Devorimon.

"Two short swords to channel the lightning. Wisdom guides each strike with ease," A voice inside Sakura and Skockmon's head stated.

"Furry Lightning Double Strike!" Sakura heard herself and Shockmon yell. Two pink bolts of lightning erupted from Sakura's crossed short swords. They hit Devorimon and sent a shockwave through his system.

"This can't be happening!" Devorimon thought. He was way beyond shock and moving quickly towards panic.

"Throwing knives and claws are one. They guide the rage that burns so bright," A voice inside Mark and Ravegmon's head spoke.

"Throwing Knife Claw Slash!" Mark heard himself and Ravegmon yell. The throwing knives slashed Devorimon, ripping new gashes in the evil digimon.

"A broadsword to contain the dragons furry. The loyalty to stand beside such a noble creature. Together as one you'll stop evil in it's tracks," A voice inside Kevin and Dragonmon's head stated.

"Dragon's Rage Paralization!" Kevin heard himself and Dragonmon yell. A maroon blast shot from Kevin's broadsword and hit Devorimon, full on, paralyzing him.

"It's not fair! No one should be able to defeat my darkness. After all my hard work, it can't end like this!" Devorimon screamed in his head.

"A samurai sword to contain the light. Faith fuels the light within. Faith to guide the light so darkness cannot win," A voice inside K.T. and Solarimon's head told them.

"Solar Flare Explosion!" K.T. heard herself and Solarimon yell. A golden yellow beam shot from K.T.'s samurai sword and blinded Devorimon.

"The Kendo stick to guide your way plus other martial arts weapons that have been mastered. A hammers might directs the blow," A voice inside Casey and Moncorimon spoke.

"Tail Hammer Shrapnel Strike!" Casey herd herself and Moncorimon yell. Casey flung all the weapons at her disposal towards Devorimon, striking him in the heart.

Devorimon screamed as a black, soup like mist began to flow from him. Devorimon disintegrated, leaving nothing behind but a bunch of excited, but worn out children. Their digimon returned to their in-training forms and promptly fell asleep.

The Digidestined's weapons returned to their owners digivices, where they would be stored until they were needed. The Digidestined sat on the ground to rest. They were too tired to do anything else. It would be good to get back to a normal life now that the evil digimon had been taken care of. The Digidestined soon fell asleep, just like their digimon partners.

Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As promised it is much longer than the previous one. I hope to get the next one out soon and not make you wait so long. ;) Please read and review!

Anthony1: Thank you for continuing to review this story. It's people like you who encourage me to keep writing this. If you are interested, I'd like to thank you by adding you in my story. If you are interested let me know in your review and please give me a name you'd like to go by and any preferences you have character wise. (i.e. looks, personality, minor or important role, etc.) If you'd rather not be included in this way, I won't be offended. It's just my way of saying thanks.

Angewomonandme: Thank you for reviewing and constantly bugging me to get chapters out. I don't know what I'd do without you. I'm glad you are reviewing this fic 'cause I need people like you to tell me how good I am. Like other writers I tend to think I suck. Anyway, to thank you for your continuing support, I'm also offering you the same thing as Anthony 1. A chance to be immortalized in this story. If you are interested let me know when you review and let me know what name you would like to be called and any character preferences you have. (i.e. looks, personality, etc.) I won't be offended if you'd rather not be included, it's just one of my ways to say thanks.


	12. Getting Back to Normal

Authors Note: I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter up. With Christmas and work, I was just too busy to do much of anything. I hope this chapter is worth the wait. ;) Enjoy and as always please review. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Digimon in whole or in part. Anything else is mine and should be respected as such.

Chapter 11: Getting back to normal

The Digidestined didn't know how long they slept and didn't really care. When they woke up, they realized they weren't alone. The street, they were on, was still deserted, but some guy was showing an interest in their digimon.

"It's good to see you are well rested. I'm Anthony," The guy said. He had brown hair and brown eyes and was dressed in regular street clothes. "Gennai sent me to congratulate you for defeating Devorimon and his stupid underling. You did a great job of figuring out how to deal with your new found abilities as well as helping a new friend fit back into society again."

"No offense, but that doesn't sound like Gennai," Taylor stated. "He doesn't usually congratulate us. He usually tells us what we still have to do."

"Yeah, that's why he sent me. This isn't really his kind of thing, but he figured you needed some encouragement," Anthony explained. "I can't stay. The Digital World is calling. Gennai also wanted you to know that you should enjoy this break while you can. There are still a lot of Devorimon's minions that need to be taken care of. They are hiding now, but just be alert."

"Now that sounds like Gennai," Mark stated as Anthony disappeared.

"I think he's a Digidestined from America. I'm almost positive I saw him in school," Kelly informed.

"Yeah, he's the new exchange student that just arrived. I think he's a grade or two above us," Kevin agreed.

"I suppose it's possible that there are other Digidestined groups around Japan other than us," Jake mused.

The Digidestined sent their digimon back to the Digital World before heading back to their homes. They left the deserted street and soon found a street with some people on it.

"Mark!"

"Sakura!"

"Kevin!"

The Digidestined turned to see their parents coming towards them. Worry and concern were written on their parents faces. Each parent took their children aside and congratulated them on a job well done. It made the Digidestined feel good to hear this from their parents, the original Digidestined.

"Katie!"

K.T. looked around for the source of the voice. She was a bit surprised. She hadn't been called by her real name since she was five years old. A petite, brunette woman stepped out of the crowd of adults. K.T. recognized her as the woman she'd always seen with an auburn haired man. The woman's ruby red eyes sparkled and she smiled warmly as she reached the blonde girl. K.T. knew this woman was familiar to her somehow, but she just couldn't place it. The woman stepped in front of K.T.

"I don't expect you to recognize me, Katie. I've changed a lot since the last time I saw you and you've changed a lot too. My hair is longer than it was when you last saw me and I probably look a bit shorter because you've grown taller so, your perspective is different. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I didn't abandon you, I was tricked into leaving you and your brother. I love you and if you let me, I'd like to make up for the time we've lost," The woman told K.T.

K.T. just stared at the woman. Her words sunk in and K.T. struggled to process all of it. What did she mean? What was she trying to tell her? K.T.'s eyebrows knit together in contemplation. The woman's words continued to circle around in the blonde's head. K.T. took a deep breath, to try and focus her thoughts, when a certain smell caught her attention. Cherry blossoms with a hint of lavender. It was always the first think K.T. smelled when she woke up in the morning. That special scent that could only be associated with one person. K.T's eyes grew wide.

"Mom?" K.T. questioned, almost fearful of the answer she'd receive.

The woman smiled at K.T. "I knew you couldn't completely forget about me." She pulled K.T. into a warm embrace as the blonde let tears of joy flow from her eyes.

The older Digidestined watched the scene. A mixture of shock and disbelief could be seen on all of their faces.

"Kari? Is that you?" Tai asked, after a few minutes.

The brunette broke her embrace with K.T. and turned to look at Tai. "In the flesh. Miss me?" Kari stated, half joking. She saw the look on her brothers face. "It's a long story. We should probably go someplace other than the street."

Everyone agreed and decided to gather at the Ichijouji's house because it was closer. Once there, refreshments were passed around before Kari told them her story.

"A little over five years ago, I ran into an old friend. He turned out to be Davis. He can probably explain what happened better than I can. Basically he was convinced that if he did what an evil digimon told him, he could have everything he thought he deserved. I'm not sure why he fell into this kind of trap, but it's not our place to judge him for it. Many people can be blinded by what they want to the point that they'll do anything to get it."

"Even kill a good friend." Everyone turned to see Davis standing in the doorway. "I know what you are thinking. The truth is, I was tricked into listening to the digimon responsible for all that's happened recently. To be honest, after High School I started to feel a little left out. It seemed like everyone had a plan for what they would do next, except me. I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do and I was supposed to start college soon. It didn't help that I still had a huge crush on this one girl I knew I would never have. I got an email from someone who needed my help. I jumped at the chance to be useful again and not feel like I was just in the way. I ended up being tricked by an evil digimon. He convinced me that if I did one simple task for him, he would give me the life I thought I wanted. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. I had convinced myself that it was the only thing that mattered anymore. It wasn't until a ten year old girl had the guts to shove the truth in my face, that I realized how much I lost compared to the little I had gained. I don't care if you guys forgive me, I just had to tell you the truth."

"Let me get this straight. You killed my brother, brainwashed Kari so she'd be yours', and let two children live on the street?" Matt asked.

"Yes," Davis replied.

"How could you live with yourself?" Yolie inquired.

"I'd convinced myself that what happened was in the past and I couldn't change it. I also convinced myself that this was what I had always wanted. I had no idea that I caused two children to live on the street. To be honest, I didn't even realize that they were T.K. and Kari's children, even though T.K. had introduced them to me as such. That's how messed up I was," Davis explained.

The room was quite while everyone let Davis' words sink in. Sora excused herself, to go check on A.J. Once in the room, where he was napping, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed an all to familiar phone number.

"Hello, Scalett speaking."

"Scalett, it's Sora. It's time. Can I arrange a meeting with you?" Sora asked the young Asian woman.

"Absolutely. To be honest, I was hoping you'd call soon. Cabin fever is a nasty thing and I'm running out of excuses. To make matters worse, no one understands how nit picky I am. By the way, you owe me a new TV. I had to 'get rid' of mine for obvious reasons. Let's just say it ended up in the garbage mans truck," Scalett stated.

"All right. Either Tai or myself will be up shortly," Sora told her.

"It would be better if I met you at the base of the mountain. There's a nice village there and it would save you the trouble of driving up the mountain ranges near Mt. Fuji," Scalett instructed.

"Sounds good. We'll have a cell phone on us if you need to call. If we leave now, one of us should be there in one and a half to two hours," Sora said.

"I'll be waiting," Scalett responded before hanging up.

Sora ended the call and returned to the living room. She walked over to Tai and sat next to him on the couch. By now, conversation had picked up and it seemed like a few of them were going at once.

"Tai, my cousin Scalett needs one of us to meet her at the base of the mountains where she lives. Do you want to meet her or should I?" Sora asked her husband.

Tai looked at his wife and knew exactly what she was talking about. Many years ago they had planed this scenario down to the coded sentences they would use. Tai glanced around the room to see if anyone was watching them. He couldn't really tell so, he decided to play it safe.

"She's your cousin so, I think you should go meet her," Tai responded. This was his way of saying that no one would be suspicious at this plan of action.

Sora nodded in agreement before walking over to Yolie. "I hate to leave like this, but my cousin called and she needs me to meet her. I'm not sure exactly what's wrong, but she seemed really upset. If you guys are still here, when I'm done, I'll be back."

"Not a problem. Take your time Sora," Yolie replied.

Sora grabbed her keys and purse, then drove off. The conversations, in the living room, continued for a while longer. As the day progressed, it was decided that everyone should stay for dinner. A few of the girls helped Yolie in the kitchen while some of the others entertained themselves with different games. In all aspects, the gathering was a family reunion of sorts. K.T. and A.J. spent time catching up with their mom on the things they had missed while Davis was re-introduced to the group again. Serious discussions soon gave way to childish fun and it seemed like old times again for the Digidestined.

Sora still hadn't returned by the time the dishes had been cleared from the table. Tai wasn't worried, yet. He knew it would take a few hours to complete the task. The subject of the Digital world came up, after they'd retreated to the living room again, and many stories were told about the adventures they had. It was starting to get dark, when Sora returned. Yolie spotted her as Sora entered the house.

"How is your cousin? Is everything O.K.?" Yolie asked Sora.

Sora put her things aside and looked at the group assembled in the living room. Her eyes locked with Tai's, briefly, before she answered Yolie's question. "She's fine. Had a little panic attack about something stupid. I managed to get her calmed down so, everything's fine again." It wasn't a complete lie, still Sora hated lying to Yolie. Sora re-joined the group and realized she had their undivided attention. Moreover, they had just heard her conversation with Yolie.

Sora sat down next to Tai. He took her hand and squeezed it, telling her it was time. Sora glanced around the room. She was encouraged to see that Kari and her children were getting used to being a family again. Sora took a deep breath before addressing the group.

"I actually had something else to take care of," Sora began. She had everyone's attention. "It did involve my cousin, just in a different way. For the past five years, Tai and I have been keeping a secret from you guys. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but it was necessary. You see, a little over five years ago, a dear friend of ours asked us for help. He was dealing with a wife who wasn't there for him or his kids anymore and he wanted some answers. He believed we were the best ones to help him and I'm glad he asked us.

"He was a very intelligent person and knew what would come next when he discovered what his wife was really doing. We helped him come up with a plan to ensure his children's well being should the unthinkable happen to him. Emergency procedures and such were put into place that should have prevented his children from being alone. Due to circumstances beyond our control, this didn't happen. The end result was two kids living on the street. You all know what happened to them.

"This brave man wanted nothing more than his children's safety. We knew to what lengths he would go to ensure they were safe. We made sure there was a back door to his plan. Sadly his worst nightmare, or should I say his wife's nightmare, came true. T.K. Takashi was shot by a good friend in a fit of jealous rage, and left for dead. We had planned to bring our children over, as we had done every day that week, to play. Due to traffic, we were running late. When we got there, we found something we were not expecting. After dropping the kids off at their cousin's house, we drove to a hospital two cities away. We didn't want to take any chances on a repeat performance so, I called up my cousin and asked for a huge favor. She agreed to take him to her house, in the mountains near Mt. Fuji, and nurse him back to health. He recovered nicely and has been living there ever since. We needed to wait until the time was right. With everything that has happened recently, as well as the renewing of old friendships, Tai and I thought this was the right time to reveal our big secret." Sora tried very hard to contain her urge to smile as she saw the wide variety of looks on everyone's faces. She looked towards the doorway and nodded her head.

An audible gasp rose from the room as T.K. walked into view. He smiled his trademark smile as the group and gave them time to process all of it. K.T. was the first to react as she leapt to her feet and ran to her dad, throwing her arms around him in a big hug. T.K. hugged his daughter back as Kari and A.J. followed, joining K.T. in her hug. Soon everyone was on their feet expressing their shock and joy at seeing T.K. again. After awhile, things died down and T.K. found himself face to face with Davis.

"Don't hold it against him dad," K.T. said. "Sometimes people who don't know what real love or happiness is, will do anything to get it. He needs our understanding and our help more than anything, right now."

T.K. looked at his daughter, amazed by her wisdom. "You're right Katie. Davis really wasn't himself that day. I know because I saw it in his eyes. That's why I can't really blame him for what happened." T.K. extended his hand to Davis. "Why don't we start over."

Davis smiled as he shook T.K.'s hand. "It's a deal."

As everyone began to leave the Ichijouji's, Kari pulled T.K. aside. "I just want you to know that I never stopped loving you and I never will." She leaned in and the two shared a passionate kiss. Nothing that happened before mattered. They were getting a second chance at life and vowed to enjoy every minute of it.

**The End**

Authors Note: I hope you guys liked it. I just want to say a special thanks to Anthony1 and angewomanandme, who had cameos in this fic as Anthony and Scalett. There's one more chapter, the Epilogue, and I'm done with this story.


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue (K.T.'s pov)

It's been five years since the events that brought my family back together. I'm 15 now and enjoying High School. My younger brother, Alan, is having fun in school as well. He's adopted Father's love of Basketball and insists on playing it constantly. We still go by K.T. and A.J., but only around our Digidestined friends. Sadly, we are still cleaning up after Devorimon, but it does give us a chance to escape to the Digital World now and then.

Mom and dad are really happy. I think everything that happened helped bring them closer together. None of the other older Digidestined seem to be quite as in love as my parents are, but there are a few that aren't far behind. As for Davis, well, he actually found himself a very nice girl. She lost her husband in a car accident, not long after her son was born. Her son is A.J.'s age and Davis doesn't seem to mind that she already has a child. They got married two and a half years ago and are currently trying for a child of their own.

Over all, life is good and I'm actually glad things happened the way they did. I know it taught me a few good lessons about myself and life. Lessons I wouldn't trade for anything.

**The real end**

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed this story.

Anthony1: Thank you so much for keeping with this story and encouraging me every step of the way.

Angewomonandme: Thank you for your enthusiasm, your encouragement, and for making me laugh. You are also the only person who has ever reviewed just to get me to update. Thanks.

To the following, who didn't review quite as often, I still thank you for liking my story enough to review at least once, if not more.

Takeru-Rocks

Augumon 2005

Miaow 227

Gatomon and Kari Fan

To those of you who skimmed through it, thought the first chapters were reason enough to stop reading, or just plain didn't like it, all I have to say is you missed out.

Note: If you like this story, check out my profile. I have done a few other stories and am also in the process of writing another Digimon story, A Digital Fantasy.


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